The Journal of Memories
by Gin Nanashi
Summary: It's a known fact that Tsuna knows some pretty interesting characters. But, how would things play out if, ten years ago, Tsuna met a unique tomboy with both moxie and skills? Well, meet Sasaki Li the gender-bending extraordinaire! [Childhood Arc]
1. Event 01: You're Weird

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira and Sasaki Li belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 01: You're Weird._

Sasaki Li had always known that she was different.

(After all, her parents said so and, thus, it must be true.)

She just didn't know how different.

(Especially since _all_ of the family members that she met can also gender-bend save for her father but he's just a weirdo.)

So, when she first met that shy boy, Li had thought that something was wrong with him when he didn't poof in the whole five minutes that she'd seen him.

(Who _couldn't_ gender-bend?)

So, here she was, circling around the trembling boy with a small caret-like frown.

(Come to think of it, they both have spiky brown hair. The only differences were that Li's hair was darker and longer.)

Her small lightly-tanned hands poked and tugged the strange boy, as if to find some kind of switch, as tears began to pool in his eyes.

(Similar eyes too: large and brown. But, while the boy's were light and round, Li's were dark and almond.)

Li came to a halt in front of the boy and stared intensely.

(Well, as intensely as a five-year-old kid can.)

The boy froze as his eyes widened to seemingly impossible lengths.

(Is this kid really _that_ afraid of her?)

Then came Li's first words to the other, "You're weird."

With that said, the boy bursted into tears.

(And that, fellow readers, is how Sasaki Li first greeted Sawada Tsunayoshi.)


	2. Event 02: Look! A Squirrel!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira and Sasaki Li belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 02: Look! A Squirrel!_

Li's own eyes widened to seemingly impossible lengths as she gaped at the bawling boy in front of her.

(Just _what_ did she do wrong?)

Waving her arms around in panic, the dark brunette whipped her head around for help before ruffling her spiky hair roughly when none came.

(Where are the adults when you _need_ them?)

Sweat trickled down her face as Li tried to find a solution before she pointed at something in one of the many trees, "Look! A squirrel!"

(Seriously? A squirrel? That's your great plan of distraction?)

Too bad that it made him cry harder.

(Guess she forgot that they're EVIL nut-eating creatures of DOOM! Damn herbivores… Someone should seriously bite them to death.)

Li groaned in exasperation as she mussed her hair up even more before - POOF! - she was surrounded by white smoke.

(Da. Da. Da. DUM!)

The sudden smoke startled the boy into quieting (though his eyes were rimmed with redness) as Li coughed and waved the smoke away to reveal… Li looking as she previously did.

(Well, she's only five years old. What? Did you expect her to suddenly gain a masculine air? No, right? Although, the pronouns will change now.)

After waving the rest of the smoke off, Li blinked at the now-calm boy. He stared back.

(Staring contest! Who shall win?)

The girl-who-is-now-a-boy gave a quirky grin with closed eyes before sticking out his hand, "Hi! I'm Sasaki Li!"

(Quick recovery that girl - err - boy has. It's too bad that he lost the silent challenge.)

The light brunette flinched a bit when the other stuck out his hand before slowly taking it, "S-Sawada Tsunayoshi…"

(And he's _still_ scared of him… Sigh… Poor kid.)

Li grinned genuinely and shook the hand happily, "Ja! I'll call you Tsuna and you'll call me Li! From now on, we're friends, si?"

(Aw~ What a friendly, and absolutely _not_ scary, gender-bender!)

Tsuna gave a nervous and confused smile and tightened his grip on the other's hand, "S-Sure!"

(Yay! He's not _that_ scared now!)

With that said and done, the dark brunette dragged her first (and soon-to-be best) friend over to the park's swings.

(And, alas! It's revealed how Tsuna got duped - err - _convinced_ into being friends with the ever-so-lovable Li.)


	3. Event 03: POOF!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira and Sasaki Li belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 03: POOF!_

White smoke filled the area again as coughs sounded out before the offending particles dissipated to reveal two five-year-olds covering their nose and mouth with one hand while waving their other hand around to clear the air.

Once the smoke cleared, the two breathed a sigh of relief before the dark brunette plopped onto the grass with a pout, "Not _again_!"

The light brunette blinked before gazing on in curiosity as his friend mussed her spiky locks (making them even more messy) before shyly asking, "Um… Li? Why do you keep... poof-ing?"

Li fell onto her back and whined, "I don't _know_~ Tsuna! And it's the _third_ time today! Usually, I don't poof so much. Only once a week. Or so the old man said-!"

The girl suddenly sat up with a glare and shook her fist at the bright blue sky, "YOU MEAN OLD MAN! YOU LIED TO MOI!"

Tsuna sweatdropped at his friend before tugging on her t-shirt nervously, "C-Calm down, Li!"

"But I dun _wanna_~!" Li pouted while crossing her arms across her chest and sticking her nose in the air, "The old man _lied_ to me! SO! I have the right to remain pouty!"

The typically-meek boy sighed exaggeratedly at the girl's declaration, "Hai, hai…"

The dark brunette ignored the airy comment and continued to shake a fit at the sky, "I'M SOOO GONNA GETCHA, OLD MAN LIAR PANTS! I'LL TEACH YA TO LIE TO MEH!"

Almost as if Mother Nature was trying to protect this so-called liar, the golden sun came out from behind a white cloud and shined brightly on the poor girl.

"NOOOSH!" Li wailed as she grabbed her eyes and began frantically rolling around on the grass, "The sun! It BURNS!"

Tsuna sweatdropped again as he dropped his head at Li's strange antics before flapping his hand weakly, "Li... You really shouldn't roll around so-"

"GACK!"

"-much…" Tsuna trailed off and gave the girl a look of horror as she managed to entangle herself in one of the many green bushes, "L-LI!"

The boy quickly ran over to the other brunette but tripped over a small ditch and skidded forward face-down.

"T-TSUNA?" Li shouted in panic as silence fell for a moment before said boy slowly pushed himself up with teary eyes and a quivering lower lip. He sniffled slightly before glistening tears began to build in the corner of his eyes. Then, the waterworks began.

Ignoring the sharp branches, Li quickly disentangled herself from the annoying green trap and stumbled towards the hiccuping boy as he began rubbing furiously at his eyes.

Digging her hands into the pockets of her shorts, the dark brunette managed to pull out her only handkerchief. She grabbed the boy's hands and pulled them away from his face before wiping the dirt off, "Mou… I wish that you'd be more careful."

"S-Sorry…" Tsuna squeaked as he stilled and allowed the other brunette to clean his scratches.

Once done, Li grinned and stuffed the handkerchief into the boy's sweater's pocket, "Keep it! I never use it anyway!"

A faint blush settled itself onto his cheeks before Tsuna gave a brilliant smile of his own, "Thank you, Li!"

POOF!

White smoke covered the area again as the coughing fit occurred while Li whined, "OH COME _ON_!"

Once the smoke cleared, Tsuna blinked at his huffing friend before remembering and lightly tugging on Li's shirt again, "Um… Li? You still haven't answered my question…"

The now-male turned to face the light brunette with a confused look on his face, "I didn't? I thought that I did…"

Tsuna thought for a moment before shaking his head and clarifying, "I mean, why do you poof? Nothing happens when you do."

Li blinked at the boy's comment before shaking his head and flicking Tsuna's forehead lightly, "Sure something happens!"

A baffled look prodded the gender-bender to continue (which he did while crossing his arms, closing his eyes, nodding and adopting a know-it-all pose), "You see, every time that I poof, my molecular structure shifts causing my body to take on a new form which, in the case of my family and I who have my mom's DNA, causes my very being to switch sexes. But, since I'm still underdeveloped, the change in gender doesn't quite affect my physical appearance until I hit puberty (whatever that is). Thus, that is the something that happens every time that I poof!"

At the end of her long and complicated explanation, Li grinned and thrusted a fist in the air as if victorious before sweatdropping at the flat look directed at him from the light brunette.

Slowly, the dark brunette brought down his hand to rub the back of his neck as his grin turned sheepish, "Okay, okay. That was just something that I quoted from my big brother."

Locking his arms behind his head, Li looked at the sky before simplifying the quote, "In all actuality, I have absolutely no clue what he was saying. BUT! I do know that when I'm a girl and I poof then I turn into a boy while when I'm a boy and I poof then I turn into a girl!"

"…"

Upon hearing nothing from Tsuna, Li turned around with a confused look before panicking at the swirly-eyed brunette, "T-TSUNA?"

And that is how Tsuna came to know about Li's awesome gender-bending skills.


	4. Event 04: Mama?

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira and Sasaki Li belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 04: Mama?_

Li used his hands alternatively to fan the unconscious brunette while pouting to himself, "Silly Tsuna, if you were so tired, then you should've just told me and I would've piggy-backed you home instead of explaining my ever-so-present awesomeness."

When the light brunette didn't stir, the gender-bender sighed before plopping onto the grass next his best friend and yawning, "M'tired."

A cool breeze was blowing before Li's own eyes began to droop. Soon enough, the dark brunette drifted off to the sounds of nature and distant chattering.

The two brunettes napped quite peacefully side-by-side for several moments before a young woman's voice called out in worry, "Tsu-kun? Where are you?"

The light brunette stirred a bit before rolling over and clinging onto the source of warmth near him. He snuggled into the soft fabric before sighing and relaxing once more.

"Kyuu-chan!" Another woman's voice, albeit deeper, called out, "It's time to go!"

The dark brunette groaned a bit at the sound before moving an arm around the shoulders of the smaller boy and quieting down.

"_Mou_... Where did that whiz go?" The second woman huffed as she began parting a bush to peer behind it.

Then, by coincidence, the first woman bumped into the other resulting in the two tumbling past the bush and landing with a thump.

The first pushed herself up to reveal a gentle-looking woman with short dark-brown hair and round dark-brown eyes with the aura of a housewife, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. Are you hurt?"

The second sat up and rubbed her face to reveal a woman with long black hair tied into a ponytail and almond dark-brown eyes who could pass off as a soccer mom with her casual wear, "No, no. Don't apologize. I'm fine. I should've paid more attention as well but I was busy looking for that kid of mine."

"Oh?" The first looked surprised and sympathetic, "I'm also looking for my Tsu-kun but he seems to have disappeared…"

The soccer mom frowned a bit at the statement before she caught sight of something in the background and smiled, "By any chance, is your son wearing an orange t-shirt and beige shorts?"

The housewife blinked before nodding in confirmation and confusion as the other pointed behind her. Turning around, the short-haired woman couldn't help but gasp happily at the sight, "Oh!"

Tsuna was clinging onto Li with his head resting on the other's stomach while Li held him close with his left arm around the smaller one's shoulders and his right arm sprawled out. The gender-bending child kyuu-ed softly with every exhale, completely relaxed.

A sigh of relief was released by the two women before they smiled at each other.

The housewife bowed slightly from her knelt position, "My name is Sawada Nana. Pleased to meet you…?"

"Sasaki Xue Fang, just call me Fang." The other woman grinned and bowed back (albeit sloppily), "It's a pleasure meeting you, Nana-san!"

As the introductions were exchanged, the dark brunette kid began to stir as he yawned and stretched his arms above his head while arching his back a bit which, in turn, made the light brunette slip off and whimper when his source of warmth disappeared.

The whimper snapped Li out of his drowsiness as he snapped upright in a panic before relaxing when Tsuna dazedly pushed himself up and yawned.

Soft giggles caught the dark brunette's attention as he blinked at the direction of the sounds before grinning and waving widely, "Mama!"

Tsuna blinked blearily before gazing confusedly at his friend and repeated, "Mama?"

"About time you two woke up." Fang smirked at her son, Li, as he stood up and pulled Tsuna to his feet, "I was beginning to think that you'd gone to Kingdom Come."

The new voice caused Tsuna to tense and jump behind Li for protection as the gender-bender smirked back at his mother, "Even if I did, you'd find a way to drag me back."

"Touché." Fang responded before pointing at the other woman with her left-hand thumb, "By the way, _Tsu-kun_, your mom's here for you."

At this comment, Tsuna poked his head out from behind his best friend and blinked at the housewife who waved at him. An embarrassed blush made its way to his cheeks before he stepped out from behind Li and fiddled with the bottom of his shirt while greeting softly, "K-Kaa-san."

Nana squealed at her son's cuteness before glomping and cuddling him, "You're so _cute_, Tsu-kun! And your friend is too!"

At the compliment, Li couldn't help but feel heat creeping up to his cheeks as Fang snickered and ruffled his spiky dark locks, "See, you can be cute… sometimes."

The gender-bending child huffed at his mother but said nothing as the blush began to settle, only to come back full blast at Nana's next comment.

"I wonder who would be the wife if you two got married?"

Fang bursted out in loud laughter as Li froze with wide eyes and Tsuna fainted with swirly eyes once more.

"A-Ara? Tsu-kun? What's wrong?"

Perhaps the meeting could've gone more smoothly without that comment?

But, then again, it wouldn't be _nearly_ as funny.


	5. Event 05: I Don't Like Her

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li and Sasaki Xue Fang belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 05: I Don't Like Her._

Next to the large sign that said "Acorn Daycare" were Tsuna and Li standing side-by-side, holding hands, as they stared at the woman in front of them.

She had silky blonde hair that was pulled back with a pink clip and glittering blue oval-shaped eyes. Her pink full lips were pulled up in a smile that showed off her pearly whites.

Tsuna's light-brown eyes widened as he blushed and shuffled behind Li before giving a timid smile back.

She wore a smooth white dress with a pink jacket over it and yellow sandals. Her smile redirected itself towards the other child.

Li's dark-brown eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave her signature caret-like frown.

The woman's smile faltered a bit before it was forced back out as she asked, "So, what are your names?"

Her voice was quite beautiful with a light soprano tone to it.

Li turned her head to the side and closed her eyes before stating, "We don't wanna tell ya."

Pink lips tightened for a second before resuming their smile as the woman asked, "What if I told you my name first?"

"Iyada." The dark brunette responded quite stubbornly before tightening her grip on the light brunette's hand and tugging him towards her.

Tsuna gave his best friend a confused look before whispering softly, "What's wrong?"

Li merely shook her head and glared at the older female who sighed and straightened up to look exasperatedly at the two women behind the children.

Fang gave a small smirk of amusement as Nana laughed softly behind her hand at the blonde's expression.

The soccer mom shook her head before shooing the woman away, "Give us a moment with them, Satou-sensei."

"Of course…" The blonde nodded before walking away as the two mothers crouched down to the children's level.

"What's _that_ all about?" The black-haired woman questioned though her dark-brown eyes twinkled playfully.

Li whirled around and huffed at her mother while wrinkling her nose, "I don't like her."

Nana smiled at the young girl before prodding gently, "Why is that, Kyuu-chan?"

The gender-bender relaxed at hearing the familiar nickname before tensing with furrowed brows as she thought about the blonde again.

Fang hummed a bit at her daughter's expression before standing up and joking aloud, "Could it be _jealousy_?"

Li growled at the word while shaking her head furiously before glaring upwards at her mother, "That's not it!"

A gentle tug from the light brunette brought Li's attention to Tsuna as he gazed curiously at her with wide eyes.

Li faltered in her glare before turning away to stare daggers at a poor random tree and grumbling under her breath.

"Eh?" Nana looked confused as Fang raised an eyebrow and crouched back down to their level, "What was that?"

The dark brunette huffed at having to repeat herself but complied.

"She looks like an _evil_ squirrel lady of _doom_."

* * *

(Extended Ending)

Nana placed an index finger on her bottom lip as she thought, "Really?"

"You didn't notice?" Fang mused as she raised an eyebrow at her friend before raising both in surprise when Nana and Tsuna shook their head simultaneously.

The Sasaki members deadpanned at their obliviousness before answering.

"Her cheeks keep puffing out when she smiles."


	6. Event 06: Let's Be Friends!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li and Sasaki Xue Fang belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 06: Let's Be Friends!_

Li pouted to herself as Nana and Fang left for their downtime at the Glacé Spa.

Not only did those two women have the nerve to leave the kids at Acorn Daycare, they also gave their names to the _evil_ squirrel lady of _doom_!

Now, the brunettes were doomed to be surrounded by annoying midgets along with the _evil_ squirrel lady of _doom_.

Li closed her eyes and sighed as her shoulders slumped before opening her right eye and glancing backwards at Tsuna.

The shy brunette clung tightly onto Li's jacket while alternating his gaze from the closed black gates to the other kids around them.

The gender-bender ran her left hand through her spiky locks before using her other hand to ruffle Tsuna's hair, "Come on, Tsuna-Fish. Let's check this prison out."

Tsuna hesitated before nodding slowly and releasing his iron grip on the girl's shirt, only to reach for Li's right hand to hold.

Li grinned as her initial irritation began to fade before looking around and spotting someone who stood out amongst the annoying ones.

Tugging her best friend with her, the gender-bender began to make her way to a red-haired boy surrounded by colorful building blocks and no one else.

"Hello, Person-Who-Reminds-Me-Of-Christmas-Because-Of-His-Hair-And-Eyes!" The dark brunette greeted as she plopped down in front of the green-eyed boy and pulled Tsuna onto her lap, "I'm Sasaki Li! And this-" She paused to hug the light brunette tightly, "-is my best friend, Tsuna-Fish!"

"I-It's Sawada T-Tsunayoshi!" Tsuna squeaked out the correction and flushed red at the sudden embrace making Li grin widely and flash her sharp canines.

The red-head gave a nervous smile and bowed lowly (nearly tipping over in the process), "U-Um.. My name is Irie Shouichi."

The gender-bender couldn't help but notice the immediate similarities between her best friend and new friend as she chirped happily, "Ja! I'm Li. Tsuna-Fish is Tsuna. And I'll call you Shou! Let's be friends!"

"E-Eh?" Shouichi yelped in surprise at the abrupt declaration, "B-But I-!"

Li merely grabbed the red-head and pulled him into her embrace while giving an easygoing smile, "There! Now we're friends!"

"EEEH?"

"HIIIII?"

Came two baffled shouts that were soon muffled as the dark brunette began to cuddle with the flustered boys.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I have to say: I am surprised, but happy, that people actually took the time to review so...

_*Gin Nanashi bows lowly and humbly.*_

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

To be honest: I only started writing _The Journal of Memories_ for my own entertainment after I started watching _Katekyo Hitman REBORN!_ about a month ago.

My main purpose is to make the relationship between my original character, Sasaki Li, and Sawada Tsunayoshi (along with other characters, such as Irie Shouichi) as fluffy and cute as possible and I believe that the innocence and youth of childhood best allows me to reach this point.

Thus, the one-shots concerning Li's and Tsuna's teenage days won't come until much later (or until if I decide that I've exhausted my ideas for the childhood arc).

Currently, I have several more chapters typed, but I have yet to proofread them so I won't upload them yet.

Since this chapter is short, however, I plan on uploading chapter seven sometime within the next eight hours (most likely, it'll be up before 10PM, Eastern Time).

Once again, thank you very much and I hope that you continue enjoying what I enjoy writing.


	7. Event 07: Satou Should Be Squirrel!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li and Sasaki Xue Fang belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 07: Satou-sensei Should Be Called Squirrel-teme!_

Once Shouichi was properly initiated into Li's circle of friendship via the trial of hugs, the three were attempting to build a tower whose height could rival that of Tokyo Tower.

Sadly, the block building will never reach that glorious height as a group of boys playing tag ran straight into the tower.

Three pairs of eyes widened in shock as the blocks came tumbling down.

Two pairs of eyes began to glisten with unshed tears as their owners whimpered at the broken sight.

One pair of eyes narrowed as a vein throbbed on their owner's temple before she jumped to her feet and grabbed one of the boys who was unfortunate enough to not escape.

"What's your problem?" Li exploded as she shook the poor boy roughly, "Can't you see that we were playing peacefully?"

"Hey!" One of the other boys called out to the dark brunette, "Leave him alone!"

The gender-bender growled and dropped the sobbing boy before whirling around to face the owner of the voice, "I'll leave him alone if you guys apologize to us!"

"AS IF!" The boy snorted while stomping his feet, "YOU should apologize to US for making my little brother cry!"

Li clenched her hands into fists, "I wouldn't have made him cry if YOU didn't make _my_ FRIENDS cry!"

The boy snarled before tackling Li to the ground and grabbing her hair roughly.

The group of boys began chanting to egg on the fight as Tsuna and Shouichi cried out in fear.

The girl growled upon hearing the cries and head-butted her opponent in the chin before smirking when the boy yelped in pain.

Unfortunately, the commotion caused the _evil_ squirrel lady - err - Satou-sensei to arrive on the scene.

The group of kids dispersed as the blonde woman cried out in horror and grabbed the troublemakers by the back of their shirt and pulled them apart while shrieking, "WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Silence fell on the daycare grounds save for the sniffling of three kids, the growling of two fighters and the heavy breathing of one angry lady.

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously before she carried the two away from everyone else.

Tsuna and Shouichi looked at one another with worried wide eyes as the other sobbing boy was guided away by his brother's and his group of friends.

They silently tip-toed after their captured friend.

Li winced a bit as she was dropped onto one of the many plastic chairs before scowling at the boy who was dropped in a chair across from her.

The blonde woman pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed shakily before fixing her gaze on the girl, "Sasaki-chan, what were you thinking when you attacked Daigorou-kun?"

The dark brunette forced her scowl to change into her signature frown before crossing her arms, "_I_ didn't attack him. _He_ attacked me!"

"Liar! You attacked my brother!" The boy snapped as he stood up only to be forced to quiet down again when Satou-sensei glared at him.

The teacher turned back to the girl, "Did you attack Ooyama-chan?"

Li stiffened and pursed her lips together, "I didn't _attack_ him. I _grabbed_ him."

"And then you _shook_ him like a doll!" The older brother retaliated making the girl scowl at him and retort, "But, I didn't _hurt_ him."

"You-!"

"Daigorou-kun!"

Satou-sensei cut the boy off again before rubbing her throbbing temples and breathing in and out slowly to calm herself.

A few moments of silence passed before the blonde woman continued, "Daigorou-kun, Sasaki-chan, you two are to stay _away_ from each other once I let you two go. I will inform your parents about this later."

"WHAT?" Both kids screamed as they jumped to their feet before glaring at one another.

"AND!" The high-pitched voice cut their glares short and made Li flinch before continuing, "You two will apologize to each other right now."

The boy turned away while huffing as the girl growled lowly and glared at the ceiling.

"_NOW_." The woman commanded in a tone that suggested no defiance or else there would be hell to pay.

Grudgingly, both kids faced each other and forced out their apologies through gritted teeth.

With a curt nod, Satou-sensei let the two return outside to their friends.

Tsuna and Shouichi sat near the door where the three had entered for their discussion before jumping when the door slammed open and the boy who fought with Li stomped outside.

They flinched at the glare thrown at them before sighing in relief when Ooyama Daigorou ran off to his younger brother and friends.

They perked up again when they heard footsteps and looked upwards when a shadow casted over them.

Li blinked at the two boys before blushing lightly and rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly while smiling apologetically, "Sorry 'bout that, you guys…"

Tsuna simply took her hand before lightly tugging the girl to a secluded spot as Shouichi followed closely by.

The three sat under the shade of a cherry-blossom tree and stayed silent for several moments before Shouichi piped up nervously, "U-Um… Are you okay, Li-san?"

The dark brunette blinked once before smiling widely and giving the red-head a thumbs-up with her free hand, "Yup! No worries!"

"I-If you say so…" Shouichi mumbled as he sweatdropped at how sparkly her smile was.

Did she even get into trouble?

Li noticed the strange look the red-head gave her and grinned goofily back only see an eye twitch.

Or, did Satou-sensei let her off easy…?

Tsuna laughed a bit at the unnerved boy and the pouting girl before settling down with a smile, feeling quite relaxed at the fact that Li was by his side again.

Light-brown eyes traveled to their owner's left hand before the boy's cheeks flushed lightly, but he made no motion to remove his hand from the dark brunette's.

Tsuna quickly shook his head to rid himself of his blush, gaining the attention of the other two.

Shouichi gave a worried look as Li blinked curiously, "Something wrong?"

"N-Nothing!" The light brunette squeaked as his previous action was for naught since his cheeks turned a darker red.

The two didn't look convinced.

"R-Really!" Came Tsuna's adamant response.

Li gave a look that flat-out said, "I don't believe you."

"U-Um… Th-that is-!" The light brunette panicked as his mind raced to come up with an excuse before he blurted out.

"Satou-sensei should be called Squirrel-teme!"

And cue the awkward silence.

"…"

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Pbfft-!" The dark brunette covered her mouth to silence her laughter as Shouichi gaped at the other boy in shock of his vulgar language.

Tsuna blinked at his two friends before his brain caught up with his statement and his face flushed a new red before stammering out an excuse, "A-Ah! T-That is-! I-I mean-!"

The light brunette was cut off as Li wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him in for a hug while giving up on hiding her laughter, "I guess that I _am_ rubbing off on you!"

"L-Li!" Tsuna squeaked as he turned even redder when he felt her rub the side of her face against his.

"Rub~ Rub~ Let's hug!" The girl cheered before pulling the red-head in as well, "Don't think that I forgot about you, Shou~ You're my friend too, y'know!"

Shouichi yelped as his face soon rivaled Tsuna's in color before both boys joined in on the laughter.

Neither boy noticed that Li's own cheeks were tinted a light pink.

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

POOF!

"W-What was th-that, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Shouichi coughed as white smoke suddenly obscured his vision.

Tsuna waved his hand around to rid the air of the smoke before responding, "Li must've poof-ed again."

"EH?" The red-head panicked, "What do you mean Li-san must've poof-ed again?"

The obscuring smoke finally cleared as Li huffed and whined, "Not _again_!"

Shouichi gave the dark brunette a completely baffled look, "What happened?"

Li pouted and tilted his head to the side.

"I turned into a boy _again_."

Thump!

"_Sh-Shouichi-kun!_?"

"Ah. He fainted."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The proofreading didn't take as long as I had originally thought (especially since I wasn't interrupted every second).

_*Cue sweatdrop.*_

I suppose that this chapter was a bit suspenseful but I hope that the endings balanced it out.

I'd like to especially thank XxMelxBelxX for her kind words and diligent reading and I hope that my writing will continue to appease you and all of the other readers!

(Lastly, as a spoiler, the next event won't be featuring Tsuna or Shouichi, but another well-known and popular character.)


	8. Event 08: You Need More Training

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li and Sasaki Xue Fang belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 08: You Need More Training._

Dark-brown eyes clashed with similar eyes as mother and son stared each other down.

Sweat trickled down the side of his face as Li silently gulped at the uncharacteristically stern face that Fang plastered onto her face.

The black-haired woman had that expression on ever since she talked with the _evil_ squirrel lady of _doom_ about the fight that took place when she was relaxing with Nana.

Suddenly, a smirk made its way onto her lips as her eyes sparked with an amount of mischief that spelled pain for a certain gender-bending kid.

"You need more training."

Yup.

He's definitely going to be in pain by the end of this.

* * *

Li grunted as he was thrown to the ground harshly by a hit to the stomach before rolling out of the way as a small wooden tonfa crashed into the grass.

The gender-bender pushed himself forward and away from the attack of the second tonfa before turning around, pressing his right foot into the ground, bursting forward and tackling the black-haired boy to the ground.

Having successfully knocked the tonfas out of his opponent's hands, Li smirked before dark-brown eyes widened in shock when the other boy pulled out a spare pair.

Using his opponent's chest as a propeller, Li pushed himself off and away from the black-haired boy though the weapon did graze his chest lightly.

Grey eyes narrowed at having missed his opponent before the owner charged forward with his weapons raised.

Li growled a bit and dodged the onslaught of attacks before dropping to the floor and delivering a sweeping kick.

The dark brunette then pushed himself up and delivered a direct kick to his opponent's stomach, knocking the grey-eyed boy backwards.

This didn't stop the six-year-old boy as he pushed off and forward at the moment that his feet landed, but Li slipped underneath him and rolled backwards as he brought his leg up and then down onto his opponent's back.

The black-haired boy crashed and was immobilized for a few seconds, allowing Li to catch his breath, before getting up and charging once more.

Li gave an exasperated groan as he began dodging again, "Can't you just stay _down_?"

With that said, Li turned to kick the boy in the head with his heel in hopes of knocking him out.

The opponent smirked at the wide opening Li gave as he blocked the kick with a tonfa and slammed his other one into the dark brunette's side, forcing him to crash into the grass again.

Pain flared all over his body as Li groaned and tried to push himself up.

It's too bad that he had a sadist for an opponent seeing as how the black-haired boy comfortably plopped himself onto Li's back.

The dark brunette twitched at the sudden weight before squirming and whining, "Get off of me!"

"Hn." The boy snorted as he pushed down on him and prodded Li's head with one of his tonfa, "You're starting to turn into an herbivore."

Li stopped struggling at that comment before turning his face to the side to glance at the boy's grey eyes.

A thin brow raised at the action before the boy demanded, "What is it?"

Li gave a wide grin and batted his long lashes, "Can you bite the _evil_ squirrel lady of _doom_ to death for me, Kyouya-nii?"

The tonfa's slamming into the dark brunette's head answered his question as Li passed out with swirly eyes.

"I'll bite _you_ to death for disrupting the daycare's peace."

* * *

"So! What have we learned today?" Fang questioned rather cheerfully as she dabbed antiseptic onto her son's wounds.

Li hissed softly at the sting before groaning and dropping his head onto the pillow; his response was slightly mumbled by the soft fabric.

"Always fully bite an herbivore to death?"

The woman's smile tightened as she "accidentally" spilled the alcohol over the boy causing him to jump and yelp loudly.

POOF!

Fang calmly waved the white smoke away before raising an eyebrow briefly at her daughter's twitching body, "Well…?"

Li slowly turned her head sideways and deadpanned at the close-eyed sparkly smile that was being directed at her.

(So bright…)

Jumbled thoughts clashed with one another as the gender-bending kid went through the experience with a scrunched-up expression.

Slowly, the confused expression faded into one of pure thoughtfulness before Li looked up at the woman with wide and (not) innocent eyes.

"Never train with a sadistic cousin who hasn't finished teething?"

Wrong answer.

"ITAI-TAI-TAI!"

Fang tossed the empty bottle of antiseptic into the trash bin as she made her way out of her daughter's room, "Have a good night, sweetie pie~!"

Li's soul could be seen floating up towards the ever-bright lights before-

Click.

-it was switched off.

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

I thank those who reviewed again!

(Xie xie ni!)

Your kind words and encouragement made me want to write to the extreme!

(Kyoukugen!)

As for the teenage arc, it's not to come until much later so I apologize for those anticipating it.

_*Gin Nanashi bows lowly in apology.*_

For now, I want to write a lot of childhood (and holiday) one-shots for this story and shed some light on Li's background.

And, yes, the readers read correctly about Sasaki Li's relation to Hibari Kyouya; they're cousins.

For those who don't know: Hibari means "skylark" while Sasaki means "wren" and both are birds of the passerine bird species, which are perching birds or (less accurately) songbirds.

(Hibird, anyone?)

I didn't intend this connection until I researched the names and, by then, I had already decided that they were to be cousins anyway.

An interesting coincidence, if I do say so myself.

Please stay tuned for the next chapter and for more fluffiness between Li, Tsuna and Shouichi!


	9. Event 09: Oh! I Almost Forgot!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 09: Oh! I Almost Forgot!_

October 14 occurs every year.

Should it be important?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Sasaki Li yawned tiredly as he pulled on a sweater and ruffled his dark-brown spikes to rid them of his bed-head.

Mind you, it didn't do much.

Stretching out his well-rested muscles, the gender-bender grinned to himself when he caught sight of the date before making his way downstairs.

"I'm going out!" Was the first thing he told his cuddling parents as he began to walk pass them.

Thunk!

Li froze in mid-step as he crossed his eyes to look at the knife embedded in the wall only a centimeter away from his nose before jumping backwards with a yelp, "Mom!_"_

"What is it, _honey_~?" Came the sugar-coated reply along with a super-sweet smile.

Li twitched before giving a brilliantly nervous smile, "Oh, nothing much! Just wanted to greet you and the old man - err - _dad_ with a 'Good Morning' and ask how it's been going!"

"Just fine, _sweetie_~! Thanks for asking and don't forget~!" Fang chirped as she turned back to the awesomely colorful and bright television.

The boy shivered at the tone and nearly collapsed out of relief before ducking under the knife and inching pass it.

Slowly…

Slowly…

Thunk!

Thunk!

Two more knives embedded themselves into the spots where Li previously was.

Luckily for him, Li had already managed to speed out of the house and, upon hearing the door slam shut, Fang couldn't help but burst out laughing as she dropped onto her husband's lap, "Oh, Daisuke! You should've seen Li's face! It was _hilarious_!"

"Really now?" Daisuke smiled and tilted his head, making spiky dark-brown locks sway with the motion as his grey eyes shimmered in mirth.

"Yup!" The woman chirped as she calmed down a bit and snuggled into his warmth before snickering at the oblivious-looking man's next question.

"Did Li even eat yet?"

* * *

The dark brunette gave a soft whimper while grabbing his stomach, "Mou… I was so scared of her that I didn't even bother grabbing a _toast_."

The empty organ gurgled once more as waterfalls of desperate tears flowed down his face.

"L-Li? What's wrong?" Came the ever-meek voice of the cutest and most adorable person in the whole of Li's world.

The gender-bender stuck out his bottom lip in a pout before clinging to the light brunette, "_Tsuuuna_~ I'm _huuungry~_!"

Said male flushed red at the close contact before stammering, "U-Um… I-I still have a-an onigiri left. Y-You can have i-it."

Li brightened up at the mention of the riceball before hugging his best friend even tighter, "You're so _good_ to me, Tsuna-Fish!"

"C-Can't b-breathe…"

POOF!

* * *

Li hummed cheerfully to herself as she licked her fingers clean of the sticky rice before patting her stomach, "That was some good grub!"

Tsuna sweatdropped at the dark brunette's choice of words before laughing nervously, "Y-Yeah…"

He turned his gaze downwards as his smile faltered before perking up when Li jumped to her feet in excitement, "Oh! I almost forgot!"

The girl whirled around and grabbed the light brunette's hand with her clean one before dragging him with her down the street, "The circus is in town! Let's grab Shou and go see!"

With Tsuna behind the girl, Li never saw his expectant smile tip downwards.

* * *

"TA DA!" Li cheered as she threw her arms up in excitement, "It's the circus!"

"Wow!" Shouichi gaped as a few men fifteen feet tall walked nimbly by before waving his arms around in amazement, "How can they grow so… so… so _tall_!"

"It's greens!" The dark brunette answered while assuming her know-it-all pose, "It's gotta be! Well, either that or _milk_. Bleh! Milk... What do you think, Tsuna-Fish?"

The light brunette snapped back to attention before giving a sheepish smile, "Um… both?"

"…"

Li gave a deadpanned expression before a thoughtful look crossed over.

Grinning widely, the girl patted him on the head and ruffled his fluffy hair, "You're so smart, Tsuna-Fish! I wish that I had thought of that!"

Tsuna couldn't help but blush at the compliment before the gender-bender grabbed both boy's hand and began dragging them off to a stand.

"Welcome boys!" The stand owner greeted as he smiled down at the three, "If you hit five balloons, you get a small prize. Hit ten and you get a bigger one! Want to try?"

Li grinned up at the portly man, "Sure, mister! Just one thing."

The man looked confused, "What is it?"

The dark brunette took a deep breath as the other two quickly covered their ears.

"I'M A _GIRL_!"

Li coughed a bit to clear her voice before shooting a cheerful smile at the embarrassed man, "How much?"

"Um… Five hundred yen but it'll be three hundred yen for one game as compensation for my mistake." The stand owner coughed before placing ten darts on the table as Li took out three one-hundred-yen coins.

Grabbing the darts, she split it in half and gave five to each boy before chirping, "Knock 'em dead!"

Tsuna and Shouichi gave the girl a look that said that she was stating the impossible but she merely waved it off.

Both sighed at the nonchalance the dark brunette showed before gulping and facing their doom - err - task.

* * *

An embarrassed blush took over both boys' face as each dart missed its target and the fifty multi-colored balloons mocked their efforts.

Li blinked before sweatdropping and musing aloud, "You guys have never thrown a dart before, huh?"

They dropped their head in shame as they were overcome by a depressingly dark aura.

Thunk!

The two looked up in surprise as Li slammed down two five-hundred-yen coins and rolled up her sleeves.

"L-Li?"

"Li-san?"

The two boys chorused as the gender-bender smirked and grabbed the twenty darts in front of her before taking her stand and narrowing her eyes in concentration.

Skillfully maneuvering her arm and wrist, Li stuck her tongue out a bit from under her left canine and threw each projectile swiftly as the three males watched on in amazement and disbelief.

Many a popping noises sounded through the air before the number of hits and misses were counted.

Hits - 17

Misses - 3

Li grinned in satisfaction before grabbing the huge lion plush and the small rabbit plush and pushing them to Tsuna and Shouichi, respectively.

Before they could protest to the gifts, though, Li was already dragging them to the next stand.

* * *

Dark-brown eyes sparkled in excitement as they spotted a stand with a giant painting of a rifle on top before their owner dragged her friends over.

"Hey, miss!" Li greeted loudly as the three skidded in front of the owner, "What does this stand do?"

The lady-in-charge crossed her arms, showing off an impressive tattoo on her upper left arm of two crisscrossing rifles with a bullet and the roman numeral "VIII" in front it, before smirking at the kids, "It's quite simple, kiddos."

She jerked a thumb over to the counter that had five air rifles attached to the surface before explaining in depth, "Basically, you use those firearms to shoot at a red star on a piece of paper. If you manage to completely destroy the star, then you get a name-plate. It costs six-hundred-yen, want to give it a try?"

Li didn't bother thinking about it and slammed a five-hundred-yen and a one-hundred-yen coin on the table before turning to the boys, "What about you guys?"

Tsuna and Shouichi shook their head rapidly, "N-No, thank you."

The dark brunette pouted a bit but didn't force them and turned to her air rifle, thanking the woman for setting out a chair to stand on.

The boys gave a sigh of relief.

* * *

The dark brunette twitched a few times as she glared at the red star that mocked her.

A few shots were scattered across the paper but only a few actually tore at the five-pointed symbol.

A tug on her sweater brought Li's glare to the timid boys.

Tsuna flinched at the dark look, making Li soften, before murmuring, "Maybe we should try a different game?"

The dark brunette pouted, "Not yet!"

Another tug was felt on her sweater, this time from Shouichi as the red-head piped up, "But, Li-san, you already tried eight times. I don't think the result is going to change…"

"I still have more money!" Li whined as she took out the correct fee and showed it to the boys.

Tsuna and Shouichi glanced at one another and back at the pouting girl before sighing simultaneously, "I guess it can't be helped…"

The dark brunette tilted her head to the side and blinked.

Shouichi grabbed the fee and placed it on the counter as Tsuna tugged the girl back to chair.

The boys left their plushes at their feet on the stand as Tsuna stood to Li's right and Shouichi stood to her left.

The girl couldn't help but blush at the support and smiled thankfully at the two boys.

"I'll help you aim," The red-head stated, grabbing the nozzle and gauging the distance.

The light brunette smiled shyly at his best friend before placing his hands on the handle, "It seems like it's hard to keep the rifle still so I'll help…"

Her red cheeks returned to their original color as Li grinned gratefully at the two.

"Thank you!"

* * *

The stand owner watched as the three children worked together.

The sound of the rifle going off filled the air every few seconds before it was exhausted.

The tattooed woman walked up to the paper and raised an eyebrow.

In the direct middle of the paper was a star.

An _empty_ star.

She smirked to herself before pulling out a paper from her pockets and placing it in front of the kids, "Nice going, kiddos."

The three perked up at the compliment.

"The name-plates are going to take a few hours to complete so print your names on this paper."

The red-head looked curiously at the paper before writing his name and passing it off to the other boy.

"I'll keep one-half and you guys will take the other half."

It was then passed off to the only girl in the group before one-half of the paper was returned to the woman.

"When you come back, just show the half to that guy over there."

The woman jerked a thumb to the bald buff man relaxing in a hammock behind her.

"He'll give you your name-plate."

The dark brunette squealed in happiness as she glomped her two friends, shouting "Thank You" continuously, and making the boys flush red.

After basking in the excitement, the girl collected the plushes and dragged the boys off again while shouting thanks behind her to the woman.

The stand owner glanced at the paper before smiling to herself, "Irie Shouichi, Sawada Tsunayoshi and Sasaki Li, eh? Maybe they'll become great in the future."

She then swiftly turned and kicked the sleeping man off of his hammock.

"Hey! You've got work to do, baldy!"

* * *

Three stomachs gurgled in unison as the kids stopped walking and blinked at each other.

Li gave a sheepish grin, "What do you guys say to some grub?"

Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck, blushing, and nodded, "That sounds good."

Shouichi coughed in embarrassment, "Yeah. It's been a few hours since breakfest."

"In that case…" The dark brunette started before she dragged the boys off again.

"We'll eat and then hit the other places!"

* * *

Leaving three kids to decide what a good lunch consists of isn't always a good idea.

Especially when all they chose to eat were hotdogs, pretzels, cotton candy, chocolate bars and soda.

Needless to say, they had an upset stomach and were forced to retire for a while.

Luckily, kids tend to bounce back pretty quickly.

So, after about twenty minutes, the three were wandering around again for some excitement.

The "Dunk-A-Victim" game was pretty amusing considering the fact that all three managed to hit the target and force the scowling man to take one dunk after the other in a row.

Of course, Li hit the target on purpose but the boys actually hit the target by pure luck (someone smacked into Shouichi and sent the ball flying while Tsuna closed his eyes and threw it as hard as he could).

Then came the strength test where the player had to hit a button with a hammer so that the indicator would hit the bell and make it ring.

The hammer was quite heavy for one kid so the three banded together and combined their strengths.

Sadly, they all missed the button and hit the owner's foot instead (which led to a panicked chase around the large park).

To escape the deranged man, the three dived into the "Mirror Fun House" where they soon forgot about their previous adventure and began to examine the many mirrors (which, in turn, led to their turning skinny, fat, short, tall, wriggly and many more before finally leaving the semi-dark place).

They wandered around some more, snacking on other snacks and rushing off to the restroom, before they finally reached their last destination.

It's time for the Big Tent.

* * *

Entering the dark tent, the three kids continued to hold hands as they took their seats in the front row.

They were just in time for the show.

Loud, preppy circus music played in the background as the ringmaster appeared in the middle of the stage with an exaggerated bow.

Li jumped up and waved wildly at the man before pouting a bit as she was pulled back down by the two boys.

With a wave of his hand, a part of the cast skipped, rode, jumped and what-not onto the stage.

With another wave, all but the acrobat troupe dispersed.

Flips, jumps, catches and swings were performed before they disappeared in a burst of purple smoke.

The burst caused Tsuna and Shouichi to jump a bit though they still managed to knock into the peanut man and spill a few bags.

As the smoke dissipated, large figures were seen as the stilt walkers came onto the scene while tossing balls to one another.

Below them were shorter jugglers manipulating objects varying from balls to pins to knives to sticks of fire which made the kids look on warily.

A bright golden flare bursted throughout the stage as everyone blinked away the light to see three large elephants with their handlers along with a group of dogs and their trainers.

Li was the only one of the three brave enough to pet the trunk of the elephant though she did try to force the other two to do the same.

They panicked when the elephants picked up several scattered peanuts near them and would've fainted if it weren't for the fact that it was too loud to conk out.

The dogs twirled and hopped and performed other varying tricks before leaving as smoke began to blow at one of the entrances.

A loud roar nearly shook the audience to their core as three tigers prowled out followed by their handlers.

At this sight, both boys clung tightly onto the overly excited girl as she tried to jump up and into the ring but was held down.

Along with the wild cats was the ever-popular strongman who lifted weights and dared to put his head in between the carnivores' jaws.

This group soon left as a tiny car beeped and drove onto the scene.

The boys looked at it curiously as they released their death grip on Li who froze and paled at the vehicle.

The door opened as twenty-one clowns of varying sizes and colors popped out one by one (except for the last two who got stuck and started making a fuss).

The girl paled and squeaked before clinging onto the light brunette and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

The red-head sweatdropped at her actions and Tsuna's red face when one clown suddenly popped up in front of them

Shouichi gave a loud yelp (though it was still drowned out by the music) and clung to the other two as Tsuna fainted from shock.

Guess that they were all afraid of clowns to some extent.

* * *

Exiting the Big Tent, Li breathed a sigh of relief as she stretched her arms before smiling brightly at the boys, "That was pretty awesome!"

"Maybe for you." Shouichi sighed as he held up the weak-kneed light brunette, "I nearly died of a heart attack because of the clown!"

The dark brunette paled a bit at the mention of the make-up covered men before shaking her head to rid herself of the thoughts.

"A-Anyway!" Li continued as she knelt down in front of the boys with her back turned to them, "I'll carry Tsuna-Fish!"

The red-head blinked before giving a worried look, "Are you sure?"

The dark brunette gave a grin and nodded before Shouichi placed the unconscious brunette onto the girl's back.

POOF!

Make that, onto the _boy's_ back now.

Shouichi waved away the white smoke nonchalantly, having gotten used to the transformations by now, and stepped back as Li stood up.

The dark brunette shifted Tsuna a bit to a more comfortable position before the two conscious boys began to walk again.

"So, what now?" The gender-bender mused aloud.

Green eyes glanced at Li before their owners wondered, "It's been about three hours now so I think that we can pick up your name-plate now."

Dark-brown eyes sparkled in remembrance, "Oh yeah! I forgot about that!"

"Let's go!"

* * *

Walking back to the group of stands near the entrance of the circus, the trio stopped at the familiar, but empty, stand.

"Hello~?" Li called out as he peered into the stand.

Shouichi frowned a bit, "Did they leave already?"

"Eh!" The dark brunette yelped before his bottom lip quivered a bit, "No way…"

The red-head tensed and waved his hands in front of him at the sight of Li's upset face, "Or they just took a break!"

The gender-bender perked up a bit at that.

"Hey…"

The two jumped at the sound of a gruff man's voice before sweatdropping as a bald buff man loomed over them.

The two gulped and took a step back before Li spoke up, "Um… Hi?"

The man stuck out a fist making the kids flinch before they looked on curiously.

He opened his hands and three silver chains dangled from his grip, "Here."

Li grinned widely and nearly dropped Tsuna in his excitement but managed to keep one arm around the other brunette as the other took the name-plates from the man.

"Thank you so much!" The gender-bender chirped happily before giving a confused look, "But… We only won one game so why…?"

The man shrugged and left without saying another word.

Li blinked and held the name-plates up to see as Shouichi called out, "T-Thank you again!"

Tsuna stirred a bit at the sounds before yawning and blinking blearily, "What's going on…?"

Li grinned again and shook the prize he received, "We got our name-plates!"

The light brunette blinked before grinning back as excitement seeped in, "Really?"

Li nodded vigorously before he nearly dropped the boy again when Tsuna yelped and flushed red at their close contact.

The gender-bender couldn't help but laugh at Tsuna's adorably embarrassed face before allowing him to slide off and handing the plates to their respective owners.

Glancing down at his own plates, Li couldn't help but smile and reminisce the teamwork they showed as he traced his name on the two identical plates before slipping the chain over his neck and grabbing his friends' hands.

"Let's go home!"

With that, they pranced off - err- made their way home as the sun began to set.

* * *

"Um… Li?" Tsuna piped up as he stood in front of a house that was _very_ familiar to him.

"Yes, my darling Tsuna-Fish?" Li responded quite cheerfully as he dragged the other boys to the front door.

"Why are we at _my_ house?" The light brunette deadpanned but allowed himself to be dragged.

"Because~!" The dark brunette said in a sing-song voice before Shouichi clarified for him, "We left something here."

Tsuna looked confused but nodded.

After all, the two came over a lot so it wasn't a surprise if they left something.

The light brunette shook his head and unlocked the door as the other two stood behind him before pushing it open.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TSU-KUN!" Came the loud and (maybe) unexpected greeting.

Tsuna gave a strangled scream as he clung onto Li in fear making the dark brunette and the red-head laugh.

The birthday boy blinked as he recognized his mother, the ever-kind Nana, along with Fang, Daisuke and an older boy with spiky black hair and almond-shaped grey eyes.

Li grinned at his startled friend before ruffling the boy's fluffy hair and hugging him close, "You didn't think that the circus was _just_ for fun, did you?"

Tsuna stared at the youngest gender-bender with wide-eyes and gave the most intelligent response ever, "Huh?"

Shouichi quieted his laugh and patted the boy on the shoulder, "We needed to keep you away from the house so that everyone else can finish preparing."

Needless to say, the smallest boy gaped in shock as the grey-eyed boy stepped forwards and placed Li in a head-lock, "Which, by the way, you did an awesome job of not forgetting, Xiao Li."

Li scowled at the nickname before pulling on his big brother's cheek and smirking, "Of course, Kiyoshi! After all, _I_ was the one who came up with this plan of distraction."

Fang slammed a fist into her youngest son's head, "Don't get a big head, Kyuu-chan. You still need to work off your debt."

The dark brunette nearly fell over before sulking to himself as tears of distraught made their way down his face, "I know…"

The red-head sweatdropped and waved his hand, "A-Anyway, we should continue this inside, right?"

"Of course~!" Nana cooed as she ushered everyone in and locked the door behind her, "Come, come. The cake's ready!"

With that said, the evening passed joyously as Tsuna made his wish, ate cake and received his presents from the older ones before he was dragged upstairs by Li and Shouichi for theirs.

* * *

Li giggled to himself as he dropped to his stomach and crawled under Tsuna's bed, "The best place to hide something-"

"-is in plain sight." Shouichi finished as he sat on the floor before the gender-bender pulled himself out along with an orange-wrapped present.

"TA DA!" The dark brunette chimed happily as he presented the gift to the stunned birthday boy who stuttered out his thanks.

Carefully unwrapping the box, despite Li's complaint that he was taking too long, Tsuna lifted the lid and blinked at the object inside before pulling it out delicately.

It was a long red string with many paper cranes of varying colors and patterns attached to it.

Li's grin turned a bit sheepish, "Shou and I were planning on making nine-hundred-ninety-nine of them but it didn't really work out that way…"

At the boy's confused face, Shouichi explained, "I heard from my big sister that if you make a thousand paper cranes, then something good will happen to you. We were planning on letting you make the last one but…"

As the red-head trailed off, Li continued on, "We only got up to ninety-nine."

At this confession, both the dark brunette and the red-head blushed in embarrassment before the gender-bender hurried on, "A-Anyway! Will you make the hundredth one? Even if it's not a thousand, it's got to count for something, right?"

Tsuna stared at the two before turning back to the box to see a single orange and white striped paper square.

He gave a small smile as he held up the paper before blushing and asking shyly, "Only if you guys help me."

Shouichi smiled back and nodded enthusiastically as Li glomped the boy with a squeal, "Of course!"

The faint dusting of pink can be seen across the dark brunette's cheeks.

He then leaned forward and whispered in light brunette's ear, almost shyly.

"By the way, Happy Fifth Birthday, Tsuna!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This chapter has been my longest (and fluffiest) yet (I think).

Proof-reading it was a bit of a pain, but I'm glad that I did because there were quite a bit of errors and the wording had to be corrected.

Now, I know that it's not Tsuna's birthday in reality, but I thought that this chapter would be a nice way of revealing a bit more of Li's personality and family life.

Some of the details that I put into this chapter will become important later on, but I won't reveal too much of it.

I hope that this chapter was up to par with my other writing and that all of you enjoyed it.

Please stay tuned for the next event!

(Updated: August 15, 2010 8:36 PM, Eastern Time)

I uploaded my drawing of Tsuna and Li during the childhood arc on my DeviantArt account!

My Pen Name is Kira-Tsume but the easiest way would be to go to my homepage on my profile.

I found it cute and I hope that you do too!


	10. Event 10: RUN!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 10: RUN! IT'S-!_

The warm sun slowly sunk into the distance as the stars glittered in the darkening sky while accompanying the bright full moon.

Three children stood together as they stared down the large dark house looming over them with a mixture of fear, dread and excitement.

"D-Do we _really_ have t-to go in?" A boy with spiky light brown hair whimpered as his colorful robot costume clanked a bit with his shivering.

"Of course we do, Robo-Tsuna!" Another boy exclaimed with sparkling red contacts as he fixed his white wings, "It's tradition to go through the Haunted House!"

"B-But, _Li_~!" Tsuna whined pathetically as the last boy, dressed as a werewolf, clutched his stomach and whimpered, "I don't feel so good…"

"It's Daisuke now, Tsuna! And, man up, Shou!" Li pouted at his friends before sighing.

He ran his fingers through his red-dyed hair before relenting upon seeing their horrified expressions, "Alright, alright."

They perked up at the submission.

"I'll go by my lonesome then." The Daisuke-cosplayer sighed dramatically as he began to walk forward, wings fluttering behind him.

He almost looked like an angel.

... _Almost_.

Light-brown and green eyes widened in shock and fear for their friend before their owners clung onto the red angel, "WE'LL COME!"

They never saw the devilish smirk that appeared on Li's lips.

* * *

The porch steps creaked eerily as the three kids walked over them and peered into the door that hung ajar.

Inside was the classical appearance of an abandoned house with its dustiness, broken furniture and random cobwebs.

Li pushed the door farther in.

SLAM!

"HIIIII!"

Everyone jumped at the loud noise and Tsuna's high-pitched scream before the light brunette fell over in a dead faint.

The red angel gave a wide grin while rubbing his head, "Whoops. My bad."

"L-Li-san…" Shouichi murmured with a deadpanned expression, "Could it be that you did that on purpose…?"

Li hoisted the light brunette onto his back, mindful of the white wings, before raising an eyebrow at the true red-head, "What did you say?"

The werewolf paled before shaking his head, "N-Nothing…"

Red eyes blinked curiously before their owner shrugged it off and continued forward.

The other boy followed closely behind, never noticing the faint spark of mischief.

* * *

The boys peered into the nearest room and saw that it was a living room with all of its furniture covered with white sheets.

They gazed curiously at the assortment of dusty glass figurines before stopping at a large painting of a portly man dressed in old British clothes.

"Whoa... His mustache is HUGE!" Li pointed out with a weirded-out look, "And his eyes..."

The dark brunette trailed off, making the bespectacled boy look curiously at him, before continuing, "They remind me of that freaky painting in Paris that Kiyoshi told me about."

Shouichi merely shook his head and sighed before pushing the angel out of the room.

Neither one noticed how the dark eyes of the painting seemed to follow them.

* * *

The next room that the boys entered was a kitchen.

Li grinned widely and automatically went over to the refrigerator, "I wonder if they have anything in here?"

Shouichi raised an eyebrow before giving the boy a look of disbelief, "Li-san, since this place has been abandoned for so long, I highly doubt-!"

The red-head was cut off as the red angel pulled out a cake that was seven-twelfths eaten.

"..."

A moment of silence settled over them.

"I'm leaving." Shouichi stated as he turned to walk out of the kitchen but was held back by the gender-bender.

"Oh no you're not." Li stated as he juggled between holding back his friend, carrying Tsuna, and balancing the cake in one hand, "I want to find out who left the cake here."

"B-But-!" The red-head started as he was dragged over to the table and forced into a seat, "-I don't want to _die_~!"

Torrents of tears poured down the frightened boy's face as Li placed the cake onto the table and seated Tsuna on an empty chair.

"We're not going to _die_~!" Li scolded and mocked the boy, "Besides, if worst comes to worst, I'll beat the snot out of whoever's trying to kill us."

"That doesn't _help_~!" The werewolf whined as he grabbed his stomach again, "Nngh… I really don't feel so good…"

The angel sighed before looking over at the cake and musing aloud, "The cake looks pretty tasty."

Shouichi gaped at his friend, "Don't tell me that you're going to _try_ it!"

Tsuna stirred at the volume before yawning and mumbling out what he caught snippet of, "Who's going to try what?"

The werewolf looked relieved at the fact that the sleeping robot finally wakened before explaining, "Li found this eaten cake in the fridge and wants to try it."

"...!"

The light brunette sat up, completely awake of the situation now, before stammering, "B-But isn't the house a-abandoned!"

"Yup!" Came the cosplayer's cheerful answer as he swiped some icing off of the dessert and tasted it, "Mmm~ Chocolate."

Shouichi and Tsuna looked horrified.

THUMP!

Everyone jumped at the noise of something heavy falling onto the floor and stilled.

Silence reigned the air for a moment.

Thump!

Shouichi whimpered as Tsuna began to tear before Li sighed exaggeratedly and stated, "It's probably just a tree branch knocking."

Thump!

The two frightened boys clung onto one another and trembled violently.

Li scowled and began walking to the doorway, "… Fine. I'll check it out."

Tsuna made a movement to stop the gender-bender as Shouichi squeaked out a warning but the angel had already left.

Nothing but the sound of wind blowing outside and the thumping was heard for a moment.

"I knew it!" Came the red angel's shout causing relief to fill the boys, "It's just a branch!"

The boys quickly walked over to the doorway and peeked around to see the cosplayer by a window.

Outside of the dusty window was a large tree branch bumping into the pane.

"See! Nothing to be afraid of!" Li chirped as he began to walk back to the boys in a nonchalant manner before tripping and falling face-forward.

THUMP!

The angel twitched a bit as his friends yelped out his name in worry.

Li rubbed his face and scowled a bit before calling out, "I'm okay! I just tripped over…"

He trailed off and looked backwards to see before his eyes gradually widened and then narrowed.

Snapping back, Li commanded.

"_RUN_! IT'S-!"

The red angel was cut off as he yelped and was pulled into a hole that opened up in the floor by some dark thing.

Shouichi and Tsuna gaped at the spot that Li was previously in before panic began to settle in their stomach.

"L-LI!" Tsuna shouted as he attempted to run towards the spot his best friend was in but Shouichi held him back, "No! Tsunayoshi-kun!"

"B-But-! Li!" The light brunette whimpered with tears coursing down his face.

His body wouldn't stop shaking as his mind jumbled from the horrific thoughts of what could have happened (and what could be happening) to his best friend.

For all he knows, Li could be brutally tortured and murdered while they were just waiting around!

However, the werewolf kept his hands firmly on the other boy's shoulders before calmly saying, "I don't think Li-san's hurt."

The robot blinked away his tears and looked at the red-head with wide eyes, "W-What do you mean?"

The red-head startled a bit and stuttered, "W-Well…"

Shouichi thought for a moment before explaining slowly, "When Li-san saw whatever it was that grabbed him, he didn't look scared. Just… surprised."

He paused and went over his glimpse of the gender-bender's expression before adding in, "… And annoyed."

Tsuna stayed silent for a moment, pondering the red-head's observation before rubbing his eyes dry and piping up," S-Still, I don't want to leave Li alone."

"Yeah." Shouichi nodded in agreement, "In that case, we should probably… look… down… stairs…"

The red-head paled at the thought of staying in the Haunted House any longer as Tsuna did the same.

A dark and heavy aura surrounded the two as they thought of what could be lurking in the abandoned house before both gulped audibly.

Still, they forced down their fears and stepped towards the door with the word "Basement" scratched onto it.

* * *

Opening the door to the basement, Shouichi fumbled with his pockets before pulling out a small flashlight.

With a flick of the switch, a bright beam of light shone through the darkness.

The boys gulped once more before beginning their trek downstairs while clutching onto each other's hand tightly.

Oddly enough, the farther down the boys went, the lighter it became until they reached the bottom hall which was lighted quite well.

Shouichi shut off his flashlight as the boys gave each other a confused look.

The sound of voices was heard as the two glanced over at one another once more before tip-toeing closer to peer around the corner.

Their jaws dropped at the scene.

* * *

"You STUPIDLY ANNOYING _IDIOT_!" A familiar red-haired angel roared looking very much like an enraged demon at the moment.

(Complete with the dark and fire-blazing background too!)

His loafers were pressed heavily onto a familiar spikiness of black hair.

"WHY, in the seven HELLS, did you GRAB me and PULL me DOWN who-knows-how-many FLIGHTS of STAIRS!" The cosplayer snarled while baring his canines.

Li continued to rub the bottom of his soles into the scalp and forcing the owner's face to kiss the floor.

"Did you REALLY think that _I_ WASN'T going to exact my REVENGE on you!" Li hissed before stepping off of the kidnapper and kicking the person in the side.

The force was enough to make the dark clothed person bounce once before flying into a dusty couch, tipping it over, scattering up white particles and making coughs fill the air.

* * *

Tsuna and Shouichi gulped at the gender-bender's temper before the former squeaked meekly, "L-Li?"

"...?" The red angel blinked at the sound and turned around before wondering, "Ts-Tsuna? Shou?"

The two meeker boys stepped out from their hiding place and nodded weakly.

Li flushed red before running his fingers through his hair and turning away while mumbling, "I take it that you saw that…?"

"Y-Yeah…" Came the soft reply from both boys.

The cosplayer sighed and ruffled his hair roughly before jerking a thumb to the figure that began standing up from behind the couch, "In that case, meet the idiot who decided to jump me."

The smoke cleared as the figure, now covered in white dust, coughed a bit before giving a tired smile and wave, "Hello~ friends of Xiao Li!"

Two jaws dropped even farther than before.

"K-Kiyoshi-san!"

Indeed, it was the older Sasaki child who had spiky _black_ hair and _dark_ grey eyes.

"W-Why?" Tsuna managed to croak out as Shouichi fell onto his bottom out of shock and relief.

Kiyoshi patted off the rest of the dust and sneezed once before grinning brilliantly and wrapping an arm around Li, "Simple! I wanted to make All-Hallows-Eve even _more_ enjoya-OW!"

The twelve-year-old sibling keeled over while wrapping an arm around the area that Li elbowed.

"I'll (as Kyouya-nii always says) bite you to death."

A throbbing vein made itself known on the dark brunette's temple as he bared his canines.

The boys sweatdropped a waterfall at the evil aura flowing out from the red demon - err - angel.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"By the way, Kiyoshi-san?" The bespectacled werewolf started as he stared curiously at the older Sasaki.

"Yes~?" Kiyoshi was attempting to hug the still-irritated red angel who placed a foot on his sibling's face.

"Why does it seem like your voice is higher?" Shouichi continued before sweatdropping when Li punched his kidnapper in the head for attempting to kiss him.

"You seriously don't know?" The grey-eyed Sasaki asked while rubbing at the bump and pouting at the cosplayer.

Cue the shaking of heads as Kiyoshi laughs good-naturedly and replies rather enthusiastically.

"I'm a _girl_ now!"

"…"

CRASH!

"Ah. They both fainted." Li mused as she turned to the unconscious boys and nudged them with his foot.

Kiyoshi gave a Cheshire Cat's smile and took this opportunity to jump the boy and plant a wet kiss on his cheek.

THUNK!

Barely a nanosecond later and Li had already slammed a fist into his now-a-sister's thick skull and smirked in satisfaction as the sibling fell to the floor with swirly eyes.

"I still haven't forgiven you."

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"I was wondering…" Li mused as he sat on his sister's back , "Did the cake's being seven-twelfths eaten have anything to do with your prank?"

Kiyoshi grunted as the red angel shifted above her before blinking and thinking deeply.

Li raised an eyebrow at the girl before his expression gradually faded into a blank stare.

A lightbulb seemed to have switched on before Kiyoshi nodded happily and responded, "I figured that by the time you got to the cake, it would've been seven o'clock already!"

Silence passed the siblings for a moment before Li slammed his fist in the girl's head.

"As if. You just got hungry waiting, didn't you?"

"Ehehehe… Guilty as charged~!"

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

This chapter was quite fun for me to write (particularly the extended endings).

I'd like to thank jestie kiryuu for reviewing the previous chapter nine: THANK YOU!

If anyone wants to know how Li looks like, just go to my profile and click on my homepage.

The drawing is under the title "Tsuna and Li" and my DeviantArt Pen Name is Kira-Tsume.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	11. Event 11: HIT IT!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; _We Are!_ belongs to Kitadani Hiroshi and _One Piece_ belongs to Oda Eiichiro; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 11: HIT IT!_

It was a beautiful morning on the third of December when a dark brunette frowned to herself as she sat on the sidewalk just outside of one of her best friends' house.

Closing her eyes, the girl thought back on her and a certain red-head's words.

_Sorry, Li-san, but I really don't want to celebrate…_

_WHAT? B-But-! It's your birthday, Shou!_

_Yeah, but… Never mind… I just don't want to…_

Li pursed her lips together before glaring up at the bright blue sky.

It was too _weird_.

Especially since, only a week ago, the bespectacled boy was as hyped up as she was!

Was it because his family were unexpectedly away and busy today?

A thoughtful look crossed over on the dark brunette's face.

It was possible.

After all, family is possibly the most important thing in a kid's life, particularly in the early years.

And, come to think of it, Shouichi's family always seem to be busy so the red-head was always hanging out with Li and Tsuna, even outside the daycare and during holidays.

Li spent a few more moments contemplating the listless behavior of her friend while staring at the Straw Hat Jolly Roger on her shirt before the metaphorical lightbulb sparked.

Grinning to herself, the dark brunette jumped to her feet and skipped off in another direction.

* * *

Inside the Irie household, Shouichi buried himself in a cocoon of blankets as he thought back to an hour or two ago.

Guilt swirled around in his guts as he recalled his best friend's hurt expression when he rejected her plans.

The red-head groaned and clutched his abdomen as it began to cramp.

Really!

What _was_ he doing?

He could be out enjoying himself right now, family or not, instead of sulking!

But… It was too late now.

The gender-bender had probably already left to do something with his other best friend.

Getting slowly off of his bed, Shouichi dared to take a peek outside of his window before sighing to himself as a dark cloud hung over him.

Of course, no one would be outside of his house.

Did he really expect for the dark brunette to be hanging around an hour or so after being dismissed so rudely?

He groaned again before his knees buckled and he slid to the floor as his stomach began to cramp once more.

* * *

"Ready?" A tall black-haired woman asked as she finished setting up the black stereo.

The lighter of the pair of brunettes gulped nervously and fumbled with the two microphones in his hands, "I-I guess…"

The darker one grinned and ruffled the other's hair, "Don't worry! We're all doing this together!"

Shaky brown eyes looked up and met with firm ones before their owner took a deep breath and nodded in determination, "Un!"

The grin widened some more before the mastermind glanced up at a certain red-head's bedroom window.

Dark-brown eyes flashed with excitement.

"HIT IT!"

* * *

The muffled sound of drums and guitars filled the air outside as Shouichi opened his green eyes in surprise.

He furrowed his eyebrows together as he slowly got up.

It sounded familiar with it's upbeat and cheerful music.

He vaguely recalled staying over at Li's house with Tsuna and watching a cartoon show about pirates though all he really could remember was of the dark brunette mimicking the main protagonist and trying to stretch out her arm… only to knock over her mom's favorite knife.

He flinched a bit at the thought of having sharp objects thrown at him as he recalled the fury of Fang before jumping in shock.

What had startled Shouichi to his feet was the sound of a familiarly strong voice that flowed in tune with the song.

_Arittake no yume wo~ kakiatsume~  
__Sagashi-mono wo sagashi ni yuku no sa~  
__ONE PIECE!_

He quickly made his way to the window and shoved the barrier up in order to properly gape at the scene in front of him, "U-Uso…!"

A dark brunette bobbed her spiky head and moved to the now-clear beat as a lighter brunette stood close by with a nervous expression.

"LI-SAN! TSUNAYOSHI-KUN! And…"

Off to their left was a black-haired woman fiddling with the music maker.

"FANG-SAN?"

* * *

Li glanced up at the open window to see the red-head's baffled look but continued singing as she tried to pass her thoughts and feelings over to her friend.

_Rashinban nante~ juutai no moto~ _(Don't let your worries hold you back.)  
_Netsu ni ukase~ kaki wo tour no sa~ _(Just go and grab fun by the hands.)

_Hokori kabutteta~ takara no chizu mo~_ (Things may seem bad.)  
_Tashikameta no nara densetsu janai!_ (But that's only if you let it be.)

_Kojin-teki na arashi wa dareka no~ _(We all have our problems.)  
_BIORHYTHM nokkatte~_ (We all worry about dealing with them.)  
_Omoi sugoseba ii!_ (We all think too much on them.)

_Arittake no yume wo~ kakiatsume~_ (Just forget about them and go!)  
_Sagashi mono wo sagashi ni yuku no sa~_ (Have the fun that you deserve!)  
_POCKET no COIN, sore to_  
_YOU WANNA BE MY FRIEND?_  
_WE ARE, WE ARE ON THE CRUISE!_  
_WE ARE!_ (Your friends!)

The dark brunette then glanced over to her partner and tugged on his hand lightly as the instrumentals began.

Tsuna gulped before breathing slowly and deeply to calm himself down.

He tightened his grip on the other's hand, gaining some courage from the warmth, and closed his eyes.

As shy and helpless he was, Tsuna wanted to help his other best friend.

After all, Shouichi had as much of an impact on his life as Li and Nana (and even his remote old man) had.

The light brunette calmed slightly as the light timbre of his voice soon came into play.

_Z-Zembu mani ukete~ shinji chattemo~_ (Many had said that I'm no good.)  
_Kata wo osarete iippo LEAD sa~_ (But, even then, I want to help out.)

_Kondo aetanara~ hanasu tsumorisa~_ (I haven't seen you at all today.)  
_Sore kara no koto to kore kara no koto~_ (But, I hope that you'll come out to play with us.)

_Tsumari itsumo PINCH wa dareka ni~_ (I can see that you're troubled.)  
_APPEAL dekiru ii CHANCE~_ (But, something good is sure to come.)  
_Ji ishiki kajyoo ni!_ (Just be aware!)

_Shimittareta yoru wo~ buttobase~!_ (Throw off your pains.)  
_Takara bako ni kyoumi wa nai kedo~_ (We'll throw off ours.)  
_POCKET ni ROMAN, sore to_ (Feel our feelings.)  
_YOU WANNA BE MY FRIEND?_  
_WE ARE, WE ARE ON THE CRUISE!_  
_WE ARE!_ (Your friends!)

Li grinned encouragingly at the light brunette before it faltered when she peeked up to see Shouichi gone from his spot.

However, she continued to press on with Tsuna by her side.

_Arittake no yume wo~ kakiatsume~_ (We never want to leave your side.)  
_Sagashi mono wo sagashi ni yuku no sa~_ (We want to go through life with you.)  
_POCKET no COIN, sore to_  
_YOU WANNA BE MY FRIEND?_  
_WE ARE, WE ARE ON THE CRUISE!_  
_WE ARE!_

_WE ARE!_

_WE ARE!_

(Your friends…!)

* * *

BAM!

Everyone jumped as the music faded into silence.

Tsuna gripped onto Li's hand tightly as the girl couldn't help but swallow thickly at the red-head's shadowed face.

She stood still and watched as Shouichi stalked towards the brunettes.

He stopped in front of them and stayed silent for a moment.

"…"

Then, his lips moved and his voice trembled.

"You stupid…"

"!" A metaphorical pan of pain fell onto the dark brunettes head as she stuttered, "W-What?"

"… annoying…"

A heavier weight slammed into her spiky head before bouncing off, creating a small bump on her hard head.

"… idiots...!"

A one-ton boulder crushed the gender-bender's spirit as she slapped her hands onto her cheeks and slowly (slowly) swirled into the dark abyss of desolation.

"Still… Thank you…"

Li snapped back to attention with wide eyes as her hands remained on her cheeks, "Huh?"

Slowly, she brought her hands down to her sides as her eyes softened upon noticing the slight shake in the boy's body, "Shou…"

The red-head bit the bottom of his lips as he forced the tears to remain stationary and continued, "Even though… this morning… I pushed you away… you still…"

Li's parted lips slowly closed before she sighed through her nose with a small smile.

The dark brunette stepped forward and grabbed the red-head by his shirt, bringing him into her embrace, "Silly Shou. That's not _nearly_ enough to make _me_ leave. Besides…"

She trailed off and stepped away a bit to look at her mother and other best friend before continuing, "It's definitely not enough to make _them_ go away."

Shouichi's eyes widened at the girl's words before he looked over at the other two.

Fang smirked from her position of leaning on the stereo as Tsuna smiled gently at the red-head.

A lump formed in his throat as the light brunette stepped forward and embraced the boy with the older Sasaki watching over them.

His response was simply to cling onto them and sob quietly.

Li closed her eyes and rested her cheek on top of the mop of messy red hair.

A moment of tranquility passed as the birthday boy slowly calmed down before pulling away to look at them with red-rimmed green eyes and a watery smile.

"Everyone… Thank you!"

* * *

(Extended Ending)

Li grinned widely as she swung an arm around the red-head's neck while bouncing, "And now that the waterworks are done, let's go _PAR-TAY_!"

"Li…" Tsuna sweatdropped with a smile at the dark brunette's enthusiasm before his eyes widened in alarm and he yelped, "L-LI!"

The gender-bender gave the panicking boy an oblivious smile, "What's up?"

The light brunette's arms flailed as he tried to form a coherent sentence.

Li tilted her head to the side with confusion apparent on her face, "Are we playing Charades? 'Cause I suck at that game."

(In the background, Fang nodded in agreement, "She does. After all, who else can confuse a chicken for a spazzing hunchback?"

The gender-bender attempted to throw her microphone at her mother's head but said ammo was caught and put away.)

The frantic shaking of the light brunette's spiky head made the girl even more confused, "No? Then, what are you doing?"

"Sh-Shouichi-kun…!" Tsuna managed to stutter out as he grabbed his hair with a pale face.

"…?" Li blinked before looking over at the said red-head, "What about Shou…?"

Dark-brown eyes widened as the gender-bender yelped in surprise and removed her arm from the boys neck, "SH-SHOU! WHAT HAPPENED?"

Said red-head's eyes were slowly spinning as he foamed at the mouth and he gurgled out an incomprehensible answer.

Li shook the boy roughly by the shoulders, "WHO DID THIS TO YOU? I'LL CRUSH THAT PERSON TO DEATH! I SWEAR IT!"

Fang sweatdropped before looking away with an "Are you serious?" expression, "Can you even crush yourself…?"

The dark brunette paused before paling rapidly at the horrific realization of her mother's words, "I DID THIS?"

Slapping her hands onto her cheeks, Li ran around frantically (much like a headless chicken), "NOOOOO! I'M SUCH A FAILURE AS A FRIEND!"

Tsuna gripped his hair lightly as he switched his gaze from the foaming boy to the screaming girl before his eyes began to swirl in confusion, trying to decide on whom he should help and whimpering, "What should I _dooo_!"

Fang watched the scene with a flat expression before sighing exaggeratedly, "Oy vey…"

That said, she grabbed her packed-up stereo and turned to leave as the neighbors began to swarm out of their hives and question her.

The older Sasaki merely shrugged and responded.

"I don't know them-"

CRASH!

(Li had just slammed into Tsuna who then tripped over an unmoving Shouichi.)

POOF!

"…"

"WHY _NOOOW?_"

"Scratch that. I _definitely_ don't know them."

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

I humbly thank all of my reviewers.

Your words never fail to lift my spirits.

I suppose that this can be considered a song-fic (if it does, then this would be my first song-fic).

It might be a bit of a stretch for some regarding Li's and Tsuna's thoughts in corresponding with the lyrics, but I thought that the song fit nicely (after considering which anime it came from).

I'm not planning on making a birthday-fic for _every_ character, just those that Li's closest to; sadly, I just don't have enough ideas for more specials.

Anyway, like the other chapters, this chapter reveals more depth to Li's personality and interests.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

(It's centered around a popular holiday!)


	12. Event 12: Just Like The Stars

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 12: Just Like The Stars, You Light Up My Night._

"Alrighty, then!" The dark brunette chirped as she grabbed the legs on her shoulders and balanced the extra weight, "Put 'er up, Tsuna!"

"P-Please stop moving, Li-san!" The red-head whimpered as he tried to not tip over while holding onto the legs of the boy sitting on his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Shouichi-kun! I think that I almost got it…!" The light brunette strained as he stretched his arms up.

The three children were attempting to top their almost-finished evergreen off with a bright yellow star that their Christmas tree _must_ have.

Li was at the bottom of the ladder, being the strongest out of the three, with Shouichi in the middle and little Tsuna on top.

The ladder was a bit shaky considering the fact that Tsuna had to lean forward a bit to reach the top of the tree.

"There!" The light brunette cheered as he gazed proudly at the twinkly ornament.

The dark brunette grinned widely at the accomplishment.

"¡Bravo, Tsuna! ¡Muy bien! ¡Eres el mejor!" Li complimented happily in her limited Spanish as she attempted to clap.

"L-Li-san!" Shouichi yelped as he began to tip backwards.

"LI!" Tsuna screamed while clinging to his support's head, nearly knocking off Shouichi's glasses.

The gender-bender quickly grabbed the red-head's legs again and balanced them before apologizing, "So sorry, Shou! Tsuna!"

The bespectacled boy sighed in relief before looking up at the shaking boy and sweatdropping, "Um… How are we going to get down now?"

Li blinked and looked up to meet with terrified green and light-brown eyes before giving a flat look, "Seriously?"

Their wide eyes answered her question.

Li sighed and held Shouichi's legs with one arm while extending her other arm to Tsuna, "Grab onto me."

The light brunette gulped before taking the hand and holding onto it tightly.

Li tugged downwards.

"_HIIIII_!"

CRASH!

POOF!

"…"

The three children groaned a bit.

"Well…" Li grunted though it sounded muffled from being implanted onto the floor, "That could've gone better."

"L-Li! Are you okay!" Tsuna squeaked as he quickly clamored off the back of the gender-bender.

The dark brunette turned his head to the side and gave the boy a flat look before pouting at his legs.

The red-head of the group was clinging to Li's legs as if letting go would cause his death.

"_Shou_~!" Li whined while wriggling around from his position on the floor, "_Lemmego_~!"

The boy looked at his friend with wide green eyes and squeaked out something but continued to bind the gender-bender's legs.

Li dropped his head onto the floor with a thunk as Tsuna sweatdropped at the scene.

Placing a forefinger on his lips, the light brunette thought for a moment as the gender-bender continued to thrash about.

His nose twitched at a scent before Tsuna tip-toed quietly out of the room as Shouichi held on strongly.

"_Mou_~!" Li groaned as he gained a throbbing vein on his temple, "Get off, Shou!"

The red-head stayed strong as a dark aura hung over the dark brunette.

Li gave a frustrated whine before resting his head on one arm and tapping his fist on the floor in a submissive manner.

"_SHOU_~!"

When nothing happened, waterfalls of tears flowed down the gender-bender's face as he waved his arms frantically.

"Shou? I'm SORRY, okay!"

No response was given as a one-ton weight of depression slammed into Li's head.

(Seriously? The direct apology didn't work?)

Li casted off the heaviness and pressed forth with his words.

"Look. I didn't mean to freak you out like that! Honest!"

Nothing once more as frustration practically seeped out of the gender-bender.

He seethed for a few moments before sighing as a thoughtful look crossed onto the boy's face.

"Granted. I didn't realize that we were all going to tip over."

No answer.

Li rested his chin on the floor and thought hard before the metaphorical lightbulb flickered on.

"But, the main point is that I _didn't_ do it on purpose!"

Nada.

(Oh, come _on_!)

Li ruffled his spiky hair roughly and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

(The thought didn't count at all!)

(And, especially towards such a sensitive boy…)

"Okay, I suppose that I _should've_ thought it out more…"

(_Still_ nothing? Geez, what more of an apology does he want?)

"Besides, it _was_ a bit funny…"

Alright, so maybe Li shouldn't have added that, but his ideas were running dry!

The feeling of deadpanned looks directed at the gender-bender made him twitch before he gave up on ignoring them and turned his head to look backwards.

Dark-brown eyes blinked once… twice… and several throbbing veins appeared on the boy's face.

"What the…!"

The light brunette, who _had_ left, returned and was giving his best friend a flat expression (though one _could_ see amusement shining in his eyes).

Meanwhile, beside the smallest boy was the aforementioned red-head who _was_ clinging onto the gender-bender's legs before but _is_ now munching away happily on cookies.

Sweet cookies.

Big cookies.

Pretty cookies.

Holiday cookies.

Christmas cookies.

_Nana's homemade cookies_.

A dark cloud made itself known over the dark brunette as he huddled by himself in the corner of shame with purple will-o'-wisps floating near him.

"Ano… Li?" Tsuna piped up as he stood behind the dark boy with a sweatdrop.

"… Leave me alone…" The other brunette grumbled while pressing himself into a tighter ball.

The sweatdrop multiplied as Tsuna laughed nervously, "C-Come on, Li. It's not that bad…"

"… _Yes_, it is…" Came the low response, "I didn't even _realize_ he had already gotten off… I mean, how could I have _not_? He was _clinging_ to me. I should've _felt_ it…"

The light brunette made a face at how dramatic the older boy was being before shaking his head and shuffling away.

The moment the light brunette moved away, the aura around Li seemed to have gotten darker and heavier.

"Even Tsuna-Fish left me…" The gender-bender mourned, "My pride… It's shattered..."

If one were to look closely, then they would've noticed that the boy's hitodama was slowly flying away.

A soft tap brought the boy's soul back into his body though he moved mechanically to glance at the interrupter.

The scent of chocolate wafted to Li's nose, making it twitch, as the gender-bender blinked slowly.

There, in front of his face, was a _glorious_ plate of large and soft _chocolate-chip_ cookies.

(Darkness _begone_!)

The dark brunette gulped audibly before wiping away his drool and looking up at the godsend presenting this batch of delicious sweets to him.

Li's lower lip quivered as his dark-brown eyes shimmered in happiness.

"Just like the stars, you light up my night."

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"My, my!" The brunette smiled happily as Li swiped a cookie and began eating, "Aren't you the smooth talker?"

Li smirked.

"Only for you, Nana-san. Only for you."

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"By the way, Kyuu-chan?" The gentle housewife started.

Li blinked while popping the last piece of cookie into his mouth, "_Yeees_?"

Nana smiled with closed eyes, "Did you know that Tsuna helped me with the cookies?"

Li paused.

"…"

The gender-bender quickly stood up and walked away with a blank expression.

Silence reigned for a moment before it was soon broken.

Nana perked up and heard what she wanted to hear.

"_HIIIII_!"

"LI-SAN? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?"

"What's it look like?"

"B-But, you're a _boy_ now!"

"Sooo...?"

"Boys shouldn't _kiss_ other boys!"

"Oh?"

"T-That's right, L-Li-!"

"_Got'cha_~!"

THUMP!

"Ah. He fainted. It's been a while."

"Ts-Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"You want one too, Shou?"

"E-EHHH? W-WAIT-!"

THUMP!

"… He fainted too."

The housewife giggled to herself, "And that's your first present from Kaa-san, Tsu-kun~!"

**

* * *

**

Author's Note:

*Gin Nanashi sighs in relief.*

I was finally able to upload this chapter after being swamped with tasks.

Thank you for reading _The Journal of Memories_ and I'm glad that everyone seems to enjoy reading it.

To EyesofTCN, I am implying something though it may differ from your interpretation of it. I try not to influence the readers' thoughts because, most likely, it is neither right nor wrong since it's an opinion.

To eeffgtt and kimkakashi, I try not to get ahead of myself and promise the readers of a teenage arc though I am hoping that, by the time I finish with the childhood arc, I would've worked out the kinks in my idea of incorporating the changes in the past and its effect on the present/future while following the basic plot line of the Anime.

(Since the day until I leave for college is quickly approaching, the updates may come a little slower.)


	13. Event 13: Don't You Know?

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 13: Don't You Know?_

"Come on, Tsuna-Fish!" A dark brunette chirped as she tugged on her best friend's hand, trying to get him to walk faster.

"S-Sorry, Li…" The light brunette whimpered as he was jostled by a hurried pair.

Li frowned at the harsh handling of her friend before shaking a fist at the disappearing couple, "Watch where you're going, meanies!"

Of course, her threat went unheard of as the crowd began to push again.

Tsuna yelped as he was bumped into the girl before clinging onto her to avoid being separated.

Li scowled at the people around her before giving a goofy grin to the nervous boy and wrapping her arms around him, "Don't worry, Tsuna! I won't let go of you!"

The light brunette flushed red but smiled back gratefully, "Li…"

He didn't finish as the two were plowed into by all of the people behind them.

The dark brunette growled at the manhandling, holding the boy closer to her chest, before spotting an empty place.

Her lips curled up in a small smirk before she weaved through the crowd with Tsuna close by.

"W-What's going on, Li?" The light brunette questioned as he narrowly dodged a precarious elbow to the face.

Soon after he asked that, Tsuna was dragged to safety as he and Li stopped away from the crowd, hidden among cherry blossom trees.

A sigh of relief slipped out of the light brunette's mouth as he plopped onto the white snow, "We're safe…"

Tsuna stretched out his sore body before glancing over at his best friend who was dressed rather oddly.

With her short spiky hair and crude behavior, Li didn't look the least bit feminine and, thus, looked as if she were a he in a black and pink girl's kimono with an overly long white scarf.

Then again, Tsuna thought to himself, Li is almost like a guy anyway…

A small smile graced itself on the light brunette's lips as he thought back to the times when the girl gender-bended into a boy… before dropping his head and crying comically.

Why was it that he _just_ noticed that most of those times ended up embarrassing him?

"-na?"

He blinked before flushing red when his light-brown eyes caught dark-brown ones looking worriedly at him before squeaking out, "I'm okay!"

Li frowned a bit at her best friend's red face before she placed her hands on his cheeks, "You sure?"

Tsuna turned a darker red but smiled and nodded, "Un!"

The gender-bender blinked before smiling back with closed eyes, "Okay then!"

She then turned and grabbed his hand, tugging lightly at it so that he would follow, "In that case, let's go visit the shrine!"

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked before sweatdropping at the still-large crowd, "But, how?"

A smirk slowly creeped up onto Li's lips as her bangs shadowed her eyes before she released a low and almost breathless cackle under her breath, "_Kekekeke_~!"

Tsuna paled as his light-brown eyes widened, "Oh no…"

* * *

"_LI_~!" The light brunette screamed as he clutched tightly onto said girl to avoid falling to his doom.

The dark brunette grinned wildly as she leapt off of a random person's shoulder and onto another's.

A few stumbled from the unexpected force, many were angered and all gaped at the sight of two kids hopping off of people.

Or, rather…

All were gaping at the sight of one kid haphazardly hopping off of people while piggy-backing another who was screaming bloody murder, to be specific.

"_HIIIII_~!"

* * *

"That was fun!" Li cheered as she threw her arms into the air, "What did you think, Tsuna-Fish…?"

The dark brunette trailed off as she sweatdropped at sight in front of her, "Tsuna…?"

The light brunette was sprawled out on a bench, pale, with his soul slowly floating away.

("I think that I see the light~!" The small thing seemed to say before tripping over air.)

"TS-TSUNA!" Li panicked as she shoved the cute hitodama back into the boy's mouth while apologizing in her mind.

Tsuna jerked up and choked a bit at her roughness before croaking out, "W-What is it?"

The gender-bender didn't reply as the boy shivered at how warm Li's hand were on his shoulders before pouting to himself.

Just, _why_ didn't he wear a thicker jacket anyway?

Li shook her head and sighed in relief when the light brunette started to move again though she made no motion to move before her relief turned into thoughtfulness.

(Why _did_ Tsuna faint like that? It's not like anything scary happened…)

"Li?" Tsuna blinked curiously as the dark brunette's face turned ashen and depressed.

Since his soul was floating away…

Did that mean that Tsuna turned into a zombie?

The boy sweatdropped when Li gave a mock horrified look, complete with her hands on her cheeks and small white eyes.

"Li…?"

But, then again, even if Tsuna were a zombie, he'd still make a cute zombie.

"_Li_~?"

The dark brunette grinned to herself as she imagined a chibi Zombie-Tsuna wandering around before tripping over and causing his brain to fall out of his popped-open skull.

And then the brain would panic at his (and his body's) clumsiness before crying.

Of course, by then, the awesome gender-bender would come to his rescue and cuddle him while ignoring the fact that zombies are suppose to eat her brain.

Then again, the innocent boy probably wouldn't even think of _hurting_ someone, let alone, _eating_ someone's _brain_.

She, on the other hand… The gender-bender let loose another low cackle while grinning sadistically.

"LI!"

The girl jumped at the volume before giving her best friend a confused and (not) innocent look, "What's up?"

Tsuna sighed at Li's strangeness before shaking his head and asking, "What are we going to do now?"

Dark-brown eyes stared blankly into light-brown ones before lighting up in remembrance.

* * *

"Omikuji!" Li squealed happily while hugging Tsuna, "I've always wanted to draw one!"

The light brunette sweatdropped at how simple-minded his best friend can be.

"So, basically…" Tsuna started as he glanced over at the dark brunette, "You wanted to come here to draw lottery?"

The gender-bender grinned widely and nodded quite enthusiastically.

The boy dropped his head and sighed.

What an easy girl to please…

Nonetheless, Tsuna smiled back before grabbing the container.

He paused and gulped nervously.

"…"

After a moment of nothing, Li tilted her head to the side, "What's wrong?"

The light brunette blushed faintly before looking away and mumbling under his breath.

At the gender-bender's still-confused expression, Tsuna cleared his throat and spoke louder.

"It's just… I've always gotten 'bad' luck."

The girl hummed softly and thought for a moment before grinning cheekily, "Ja! I'll help!"

"H-HIIIII!"

Tsuna squeaked and flushed the darkest red anyone has ever seen.

Li stood behind the boy with her arms wrapped around his torso and her hands over his.

The gender-bender stuck out her tongue from under her left canine as she concentrated as hard as she could.

Tightening her grip, the dark brunette shook the container a bit, making its contents mix, before a stick fell out.

The two tilted their heads at the stick before a man working at the shrine exchanged it with a piece of paper.

Tsuna grabbed the paper with shaky hands before shutting his eyes tight and gulping.

"Here goes nothing…"

The paper rustled as Li wrapped her arms around the boy from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Tsuna peeked out from one eyes before both widened immensely as he gaped at the paper.

"U-Uso…!"

Written neatly on the white paper were the kanji for "shoukichi."

"B-But, how!" The light brunette had to question as he looked up at the girl.

Dark-brown eyes sparkled mischievously as the other brunette grinned, "Don't you know?"

At the confused expression adorning the other's face, Li giggled and hugged the boy tightly while burying her lightly blushing face into his shoulder.

"Great luck and bad luck leads to little luck!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Just a cute one-shot of New Years.

If anyone had seen the Anime of KHR, and actually bothered to watch the omake (Monster Hunter Tsuna!) at the end, then you should know what I'm talking about when I was describing chibi Zombie-Tsuna.

A little bit more of Li's personality and abilities are revealed in this fluff-filled short story.

Lastly, I posted up a new picture for this story. It's called "Under the Sakura Tree" and features Li, Tsuna and Shouichi.

I'll be posting my pictures periodically, so check my homepage every now and then.

If anyone has an idea for a picture, I welcome it (though whether or not I actually get to it is debatable).

Thank you for reading and reviewing and adding this story (or me) to the favorites and alerts!


	14. Event 14: Doki Doki!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 14: Doki Doki!_

A young boy with dark-brown hair hummed softly to himself as he skipped a bit, making the red bag in his right hand swing with each bounce.

He soon stopped in front of a cozy house with the nameplate "Sawada" placed in front and grinned widely.

"Bingo."

* * *

The dark brunette swung the door open though he was mindful of not letting it slam into the wall as he chirped out, "Guess who's here~?"

Another brunette appeared as she peeked her head out from the kitchen door before smiling happily at the visitor, "Ara? Li-kun! So glad to see you!"

"Good afternoon, Nana-san!" Li greeted as he kicked off his sneakers before pausing and doing a double-take on the woman's greeting, "Eh?"

The older brunette never called him, "Li-kun," unless something was troubling her.

The boy frowned to himself as he gazed worriedly at the gentle woman, "Is something wrong?"

Nana blinked before giving a small nervous smile and looking up the stairs, "W-Well…"

* * *

Thump - thump - thump - thump - BAM!

"TSUNA!"

Li called out as he slammed open the bedroom door with a panicked face and mussed clothes.

"ARE YOU O… kay…?"

Dark brown eyes widened at the sight before the gender-bender fell flat over on his face.

In front of Li, at the low table, sat a smaller boy with light-brown hair and a startled look on his face while surrounded by pieces of red, pink and white paper.

"L-Li?" Tsuna wondered with wide eyes and a sweatdrop, "Are you okay…?"

He slowly set down the scissors in his hands before asking slowly, "And, why are you on the floor?"

The dark brunette twitched a bit before slowly pushing himself up and covering his face with his left hand, mumbling lowly and inaudibly.

His face, despite being mostly covered, was visibly red.

The light brunette tilted his head to the side, "Li…?"

Li began to move his hand so that it didn't impair his speech though it still covered the majority of his nose and mouth.

"I-I heard from Nana-san…"

The gender-bender's oddly soft voice trailed off as his already flushed face turned darker.

"… that you wouldn't come out, s-so…"

Dark brown eyes flickered to everywhere but the boy in front as their owner gulped before continuing.

"… s-so I thought that you…"

Li closed his eyes tightly as a new red appeared before blurting out and waving his arms around frantically.

"... that you were troubled!"

Tsuna blinked slowly at the flustered boy in front of him.

The gender-bender was still stuttering out some sort of excuse while waving his arms around as if trying to conjure up his thoughts into comprehensible motions.

Then, as the light brunette carefully regarded Li's disheveled clothes and messy hair, a warm feeling began to flutter in his chest.

_Doki doki!_

_Li_ was _worried_ about _him_!

Slowly, heat began to spread outwards though a majority concentrated on his cheeks.

Li was _never_ worried and _always_ laid-back (if not, exaggerated).

In fact, the _only_ times he had lost his cool was at the daycare.

But, that was only because the brothers had pissed him off, right?

_Now_ though, he was so worried that his calm disposition had slipped away like sand between dry fingers.

_Doki doki!_

His lips twitched before quirking upwards as he quietly made his way towards the disoriented boy.

Plopping down in front of Li, Tsuna's courage made itself known as he gathered the older boy into his embrace.

Li froze and gaped with his mouth opening and close, much like the fish that became Tsuna's nickname, before relaxing.

With soft eyes and a faint blush, the dark brunette slowly returned the hug before pulling the younger one onto his lap.

_Doki doki!_

The light brunette relished in the warmth and comfort that the gender-bender always seemed to bring with him.

Even if he were clumsy.

Even if he were a coward.

Even if he were considered to be no-good.

As long as he had someone by his side…

He would continue to be himself.

To be Tsuna.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"By the way…" Li started as he continued cuddling the boy with a grin, "Why exactly are you cooped up here?"

This time, the light brunette flushed red and dropped his head, hiding his face in the gender-bender's t-shirt, while mumbling something.

The dark brunette tilted his head to the side and looked at the boy with an oblivious smile.

Tsuna tightened his grip on the other's shirt before pulling away and answering honestly with a seemingly permanent blush on his cheeks.

"I wanted to make you and Okaa-san a Valentine's Day card…"

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"Really?" Li's dark-brown eyes sparkled happily as the background seemed to light up.

At the sight of Tsuna nodding, the gender-bender squealed and hugged the boy even tighter, nearly constricting his air supply.

"Thank you _so_ much! And, guess what?"

POOF!

Li pulled away and grabbed the red bag that she dropped before stuffing it into the light brunette's hands.

"I wanted to give you my favorite chocolate stash!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Pure, pure fluff this one has.

I've been thinking about the Teen Years a lot lately, and I _think_ that I have the kinks worked out, but I haven't started on it yet 'cause I haven't finished the Childhood Arc.

One thing that's for certain and that is that when I do start typing, there will be hints of romance included with friendship.

One thing that's uncertain is who will be ending up with whom.

I'm tinkering with a lot of ideas though my sister tells me that there is an obvious pairing and I agree, but it's subject to change.

Moving along...!

To kimkakashi, I'm not sure if you got my reply on DeviantArt, but there is an ending of sorts which will lead to the Teen Years though it'll take a while for me to finish it since I have to get all of my ideas in order and then typed out.

I thank my audience again.

You have all been lovely and supportive; I can almost cry tears of happiness (but I won't since I'll feel exhausted later).

Truth be told, this is the longest time I've ever held onto a story since I started it (though the others never made it out of their planning and pre-publishing stage).

Lastly, I've uploaded another picture; a family portrait of the Sasaki Family a year ago.

Lately, I've been on a drawing spree - a total of 13 pictures for this story.

I'll be uploading each one every once in a while (probably every couple of days), so check out my homepage when you have the time!

Thank you again!


	15. Event 15: Are You Okay?

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 15: Are You Okay?_

"So _bored_…"

This comment came from none other than Sasaki Li as she laid on the rooftop of her house.

"Tsuna-Fish and Nana-san went out with that blonde old man."

The gender-bender recounted as she continued to sulk.

"Shou's out with his family to visit his grandparents."

Dark-brown eyes narrowed.

"Kiyoshi's in school."

Li crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Kyouya-nii's too busy biting herbivores to death."

She pouted out her lips like a fish.

"Both Mama and Papa are gone doing mushy things! _Bleh_!"

The dark brunette stuck out her tongue and sprawled out on the roof again, "And I've got _absolutely_ nothing to do!"

Sadly, nothing but silence followed the statement as if to mock the girl's boredom.

Li groaned before sitting up and ruffling her spiky hair roughly, "_Mou_~! What should I _do?_"

Finally, as if some higher being heard her question, a white blur whistled passed her.

The gender-bender blinked a couple of times in surprise before slowly turning her head to look in the direction the blur had disappeared in.

Dark-brown eyes sparked with a certain playfulness.

Slowly, a mischievous grin made its way to her lips as Li pumped a fist into the air.

"_Yeees_!"

* * *

Digging her feet into the shingles of the roof, Li pushed off of one of her neighbor's house and landed on another with an excited grin.

(They say that curiosity killed the cat.)

The single white object soon appeared in her line of vision as the dark brunette jumped off of the rooftop and landed safely on the asphalt sidewalk.

(But satisfaction brought it back, no?)

Li crouched down and poked the curious item before grabbing it and bringing it up to eye level for inspection.

It was a ball.

But, not just any ball.

It was…

(Pause for the drumroll.)

A _baseball_.

If possible, one would be able to see a metaphorical black cat tail erect and quivering in excitement as Li came to realize that whoever had hit the ball was one impressive hitter.

Upon looking closer, the baseball was less of a perfect sphere than it was a busted equipment.

The red string that sewed up the ball was broken and the leather cover was ripped, revealing the yarn and cork center.

(Yup, whoever had hit this ball had one awesome arm.)

Li smirked, showing off her canines to no one in particular, as her dark-brown eyes gleamed.

(And, she was going to find out who.)

Assuming, of course, that the person still hasn't left from where the ball was hit.

Naturally, Li had no idea as to where specifically the ball had been hit, but she did know of the general direction.

And so, the gender-bender pocketed the ball and backtracked to her house.

* * *

Standing on top of her house, Li stuck her tongue out from under her left canine as she gauged her surroundings through the square made by her thumbs and forefingers.

(If she found the ball in _this_ direction…)

She looked in the direction of her backyard before turning her head and looking in the opposite one.

(Then it would be in her best interest to head in _that_ direction!)

The gender-bender dropped her hands and turned around to face the front before she jumped off from her perch and landed on the grassy lawn.

Walking pass the front gates, her dark-brown bangs shadowed her eyes as a wide fanged grin spread across her lips.

(Bored? Not anymore~!)

"_Kekekeke_~!"

* * *

Balancing herself on the stone wall, Li hummed to herself as she continued traveling in the direction with a skip in her steps.

She grinned and twirled before back-flipping off of it and landing with a crouch.

Then, came the ever-awesome moonwalk before-

"_WHOA_~!"

Thump!

-Li tripped over the uneven ground and fell flat on her bum.

The dark brunette groaned softly as she rubbed her abused bottom and grumbled to herself before perking up at her surroundings.

Somewhere in the midst of her playing around - err - _investigation_, Li had managed to wander into _the_ park.

She fell onto her back and stared up at the blue sky with a light grin as she reminisced.

_The light brunette whose tears drew out her panicked side._

_Her panicked side which led to their eventual friendship._

_Their friendship which soon included the bespectacled boy._

_The bespectacled boy who helped her with the plan of distraction._

_The plan of distraction that led to a day of fun._

_A day of fun that will continue to imprint onto her memories._

_Her memories which will never fade no matter how many years pass._

_Because, no matter how much time flies by, she won't forget her precious friends._

Li couldn't help the heat that settled on her cheeks as she closed her eyes and smiled.

A warm feeling glowed gently in her heart.

"-kay…?"

Dark-brown eyes snapped open and blinked blearily before-

BAM!

"_Itai_!"

Li sat up and gripped her forehead in pain as tears clung to the corner of her eyes before scowling at the intruder, "What in the seven hells was _that_ for!"

"Wari wari!" Came the carefree laughter, "I thought that you fell or something!"

The response was given by a boy, possibly around her age, with short black hair and a wide smile.

The dark brunette rubbed the red spot before her curiosity settled in and she tilted her head, "Who are you?"

His closed eyes opened to reveal a warm brown color, lighter than hers but darker than Tsuna's, as he pointed to himself with an oblivious smile, "Me?"

Li gave a flat expression, "No, the white pegasus behind you."

"Huh?" Came the confused response as the boy looked behind him, "There's a white pegasus behind me?"

The gender-bender slapped her hand over her face and slid it down, "Oy vey…"

POOF!

White smoke covered the area again as Li coughed at the sudden change and waved at the smoke.

The boy turned back and blinked at his obscured sight before he laughed cheerfully again, "What a cool trick! Are you a ninja?"

The dark brunette sweatdropped at the glittering expression before looking away with a slight twitch in his eyebrows, "Why does he remind me of the old man…?"

Li shook his head to clear his thoughts of his dense father before clarifying, "Who exactly are you?"

The listener grinned, "My name's Yamamoto Takeshi! How about you?"

The dark brunette watched him closely before getting up and dusting himself off, "Sasaki Li."

"It's nice to meet you, Li!" Takeshi laughed as he shifted the object on his shoulder a bit.

The movement caught the gender-bender's eyes as he stared wide-eyed at it.

Long and sleek, the object was made from wood and polished brightly though it was obvious how worn out it was.

"Hm…?" Takeshi blinked at the staring of the dark brunette before following his line of vision and grinning brightly, "Do you also like baseball?"

Li looked thoughtfully at the boy before shaking his head, "I prefer to use my legs."

"Is that so?" The baseball fan laughed, "Then, are you here to play football?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked slowly as their owner processed the question and shook his head slowly before remembering, "Ah…! I nearly forgot."

Takeshi tilted his head to the side in a silent question as Li fumbled with his pockets before grinning widely when he found it.

The dark brunette pulled out the busted baseball and showed it to the other boy, "Did you see who hit this?"

A smile replaced the confused look as Takeshi's eyes lit up in recognition, "So that's where it went!"

"… What?" Li stared, dumbfounded, as the other laughed and took the broken equipment for closer inspection.

Double-taking on the baseball fan's response, the gender-bender's jaw dropped, "W-Wait! _You_ did this!

Takeshi blinked before laughing and shaking his head, "No, not me."

A breath of relief was released as Li pressed a hand over his chest.

After all, the distance that the ball traveled was just too great for a normal five-year-old boy to hit.

Then again, it wasn't as if Li were normal.

"My old man did!" The black-haired boy finished with a proud smile.

Li nearly fell over but didn't and blurted out, "Then-! Is your dad a pro?"

"Yep!" Came the enthusiastic answer.

This time, he did fall over before scrambling back up and scratching the back of his head, "Wao… He sure practices a lot then, huh?"

"Yeah, there's not a day that goes by when he doesn't!" Takeshi grinned, "He's teaching me, but it's kind of hard to handle the knife."

"Oh, I see…" Li trailed off as he closed his eyes and nodded, "I suppose that that's to be expected since you're a kid too and… Wait… _What_? KNIFE!"

The other boy gave the gender-bender another oblivious smile, "Yeah! Oyaji's a professional sushi chef!"

"..."

"...?"

"… I think that I need to lay down…" The dark brunette mumbled as he placed a hand on his forehead.

A worried look crossed onto the other's face though he still maintained his smile, "Are you okay?"

"Is that a purple wren that I see…?"

"O-Oi!"

* * *

"Ah~!" Li sighed happily as he patted his full stomach, "That was some good grub~!"

Takeshi laughed at the obviously happy expression that the dark brunette wore, "You must've been _really_ hungry!"

"Yup!" The gender-bender agreed before jumping to his feet and stretching, "Thanks a lot, Takeshi! I owe you one!"

"Don't worry about it!" The carefree baseball fan laughed while patting Li on the back.

The dark brunette pouted before stubbornly saying, "Just wait! I'll find a way to repay you."

Takeshi blinked in surprise at the declaration before laughing happily, "Alright, then. If you say so."

Li smirked before noticing the slowly sinking sun, "It's getting late."

"Yeah…" The black-haired boy smiled, "Looks like we have to split up now."

The dark brunette hummed a bit before holding out his hand to the boy, "Yamamoto Takeshi. I, Sasaki Li, am glad to have met you today. Not only did you give me free sushi, you also cured my boredom. I am in your debt."

Takeshi blinked before grinning back and shaking the outstretched hand, "And I'm glad that I met you, Li! Today was fun. Maybe we'll meet up again?"

The gender-bender tightened his grip and flashed a fanged smile, "Definitely."

And then…

POOF!

The dark brunette disappeared into the explosion of white smoke.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Darn… It…!" Li coughed as she waved away the smoke and jumped onto a tree branch.

Finally, the smoke cleared as the dark brunette breathed a sigh of relief before pouting and whining, "And I'm _still_ no closer to controlling it!"

Meanwhile, a certain baseball fanatic laughed cheerfully.

"Ahahaha~! I guess that he _is_ a ninja!"

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"Wait…"

Li paused in her walk home.

"Since he gave me food _and_ cured my boredom…"

She slapped her hands over her cheeks in realization.

"Does that mean that I have to pay him back _twice_?"

A horrified expression crossed over before she dropped her head and cried waterfalls.

"_Why_ am I always indebted to people…?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

It took a while, but _finally_ someone new enters the scene!

I think that this one turned out pretty cute, especially Li's reactions.

I'd like to especially thank kimkakashi and jestie kiryuu: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

It seems that you two _always_ review.

*74 sniffles and wipes away some stray, happy tears.*

I feel so touched...

Stay tuned for the next chapter; it's another birthday-fic!


	16. Event 16: Leap Year Baby

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 16: Leap-Year Baby_

Two boys stood outside a simple yet cute store with "Amori's Boutique" written in pink script.

One had spiky light-brown hair while the other had messy red hair.

Both gulped nervously before jumping when the bell jingled upon the door's opening.

"You two coming in, or what?" A tall woman with long black hair asked with a raised eyebrow.

"H-Hai, Fang-san!"

* * *

Inside the store were plushes of varying sizes and appearances along with accessories and even some daily-used items.

The two boys huddled close to Fang as they whipped their head in many directions, trying to take note of everything around them.

Being so absorbed in their observation, the two didn't notice that their guardian stopped and bumped into her legs.

The brunette squeaked and cowered behind the red-head who froze up like a deer caught in the headlights.

The woman sweatdropped at the response as she gave them a flat look (though annoyance and amusement could be seen) before shaking her head and sighing, "Anyway, Tsunayoshi-kun, Shouichi-kun, go look around for it. I'll just be loitering around here."

The named duo blinked before nodding and scrambling off to one of the aisles.

* * *

Upon being hidden from Fang's view, the boys breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Mou… I don't think that I'll ever get used to Fang-san…" Tsuna exhaled as he placed a hand over his fast-paced heart, "Even if she's Li's mother."

"Yeah…" Shouichi agreed before musing aloud, "Fang-san always has this scary feeling to her. It's so… so…"

"Not like Li/-san!"

Both had exclaimed simultaneously before looking at each other in surprise.

"Pbbft-!"

Slowly, the soft bubbling of laughter came out though they kept it to themselves.

After a moment, the laughter began to quiet as the light brunette sighed with a smile, "Li's always so cheerful."

Shouichi nodded with a small grin, "Though she gets mad pretty easily."

At that comment, the image of a certain dark brunette scrimmaging with the boy at the daycare popped into mind along with the violent acts of affection thrown at the older Sasaki sibling.

A sweatdrop made itself known upon both reminiscing boys before they shook their head vigorously.

"A-Anyway!" Tsuna started, "We better take a look around!"

Shouichi nodded in agreement before sweatdropping at the items on sale around them, "Although, we should probably look in another aisle."

The sweatdrop doubled in size as both the brunette and the redhead caught sight of frilly aprons, silly pencils, flimsy wallets, decorative tissues and many other things of daily use.

"Yeah, we should definitely look elsewhere…"

With that, they slowly tip-toed over to the next walkway.

* * *

"For some reason, I can't really see Li wearing any of these…" The light brunette confessed as he held up a silver chain with a heart charm.

This corridor was filled with accessories ranging from charm bracelets to earrings to cellphone chains.

"Come to think of it," Tsuna continued as he looked over to the red-head, "Li never wears anything girly and she doesn't have piercings either."

Shouichi sweatdropped and carefully put the dangling earrings back onto the shelf as the light brunette continued.

"As far as I can think, Li's always done boy things."

The redhead hummed to himself as he thought back as well, "I think you're right."

"Li-san plays a lot of sports, like soccer and American football, and I've never seen her with girls."

"Not only that, Li's _practically_ a boy. Even without her power, she's always talking and acting like a guy."

The two sweatdropped before looking dejectedly at each other with a heavy aura as the same thought crossed their mind.

(She was more manly than they were…)

They sighed loudly before noticing a shadow over them.

Looking up, their eyes widened as they yelped, "F-Fang-san!"

The woman raised an eyebrow at the obviously panicked expressions before crossing her arms, "You two done, yet?"

The boys gulped and glanced at each other before shaking their head, "No…"

This time, both eyebrows went up as Fang deadpanned, "Why not? It's not _that_ hard to find a present for a girl, is it?"

"W-Well…" Tsuna started before shrinking back at the blank stare, "I-It's just… Um…"

His initial courage failed him as he eeped and hid behind Shouichi.

The gaze shifted over to said redhead as he gulped audibly and tried to explain, "L-Li-san isn't really a girl, right…?"

Realizing that the comment was a bit insulting, Shouichi quickly added in, "S-Since she can, you know, transform!"

Fang stayed silent for a moment as a small frown graced her lips before she sighed, "You're right."

The boys relaxed a bit.

"But, you're also wrong."

They jumped at that and glanced at each other before giving a confused look.

Fang ran her fingers through her hair before fixing her low ponytail and crouching down to their level, "Listen closely 'cause I won't repeat myself, y'hear?"

The boys nodded vigorously.

Dark-brown eyes softened a bit at their enthusiasm before the woman continued.

"Kyuu-chan…" She paused before smiling a bit, "_All_ of us (with the exception of Daisuke) didn't always have our power."

Fang closed her eyes as her memories flashed back to the past.

_A small, bony child with long black hair stared at the image reflected in the clear water with wide dark-brown eyes. Her - no - _his_ naked body had changed abruptly in a burst of white smoke._

"In fact, we were all born a certain gender."

_That gaunt child from before eventually grew to a tall, and proud, woman who held in her arms a babe with the same, though much shorter, black hair bundled in a blue blanket - a baby boy._

"But, when we hit a certain age, our powers are awakened."

_"Mama, mama!" The child born from the woman shouted, running from the bathroom while still bare, "Look! I went POOF!"_

"For myself and Kiyoshi, it was at the age of seven years. But, for Li…"

_The dark brunette pulled at the waistband and stared before blinking at the woman and saying with wide eyes, "I think that I have a birdie now."_

Fang's lips twitched before she chuckled to herself, "Li's first transformation was only a few months prior to meeting _you_, Tsunayoshi-kun."

The light brunette startled and blinked incredulously at the woman, "B-But, Li acted like she's _always_ had that power!"

"Yeah…" The woman sighed as she stood up with a small smile, "She's always been… unique, going at her own pace."

Her expression then turned a bit exasperated.

(Maybe it's 'cause she's a Leap-Year Baby…?)

A moment of silence passed between the trio as the boys looked at Fang, wondering about her expression, but the woman snapped out of it and ruffled their hair.

"_Any_ who!" She continued, "What I'm trying to say is that Li's a girl before a gender-bender, capiche?"

Shouichi gave a slow nod as Tsuna thought for a moment longer before light-brown eyes wandered over to a large yellow object.

He mused before giving a firm nod.

"Hai!"

* * *

The store's bell jingled lightly as the trio left the building with a satisfied look on their face.

In Fang's hands was a large white bag with the store's name on it in rosy cursive as Tsuna and Shouichi walked in front, rather enthusiastically.

"Ara? Are you all done?"

The question came from the Yamato Nadeshiko, Sawada Nana, as she smiled at the three. In her hands were several bags filled with ingredients.

"Okaa-san!" Tsuna greeted as he ran up to her and gave her a hug.

"Hello, Tsu-kun. Have you been good?" The brunette returned the embrace with closed eyes and a smile.

"Don't worry. He wasn't a hassle." Fang replied in place of the boy as she dropped her bag on top of Tsuna (earning a worried squeak from Shouichi) and grabbed Nana's baggage, "Here. Let me take them."

"Thank you, Fang-chan." Nana chirped with a hand placed on her blushing cheek (oblivious to her son's struggle), "But, I can carry at least one."

The Sasaki woman nonchalantly waved off the comment (meanwhile, the redhead was valiantly trying to pull off the suffocating bag), "Don't worry about it. I want to help."

"If you say so, then." The brunette allowed the issue to slide before finally turning to her son (who was breathing a sigh a relief as he sat on the sidewalk with Shouichi near him and the bag in between them), "Ne, Tsu-kun, Shouichi-kun? Will you be going to Fang-chan's house now?"

"A-Ah, hai!" The light brunette responded before glancing over at the black-haired woman warily, "Th-That is, if we can…?"

Fang shifted the weight in her arms and casted a sharp glance at the questioner before looking away and shrugging, "Go right ahead. Kyuu-chan's probably waiting for you two, anyway."

Shouichi stumbled to his feet as he held onto the present, "I-In that case…"

"We'll be going now!" Tsuna finished as he tugged the redhead with him, nearly tripping.

Nana laughed softly at how eager the two were at leaving, "My, my. It's almost like they're in love."

Fang smirked though the bags hid it as she chuckled lowly, "Or, that they're terrified (of me)."

"…?"

The gentle housewife continued to smile obliviously.

* * *

"I think that we're far enough." Shouichi pointed out as he tried to not drop their gift.

The light brunette soon slowed to a stop and gave a nervous glance behind the redhead before nearly collapsing in relief, "Waa~ I thought that she was going to kill me…"

Green eyes gazed sympathetically at the boy, "It _does_ seem like she's harder on you…"

"Huu…" Two waterfalls streamed down from Tsuna's closed eyes as a depressed aura hung over him, "Why _me_~?"

"… Anyway!" Shouichi interrupted while sweatdropping with a nervous smile, "We better get over to Li-san."

The light brunette continued to cry though he did nod and follow.

Meanwhile, the redhead sighed somewhat exaggeratedly.

* * *

Inside the Sasaki household, a certain dark brunette scowled at the bustling man in front of her.

Sasaki Daisuke smiled happily as he stirred the cake batter with one hand while flipping to the next page of the novel _Densha Otoko_ (by Hitori Nakano) with his other.

Finally, Li threw up her arms and whined, "Come _on_~ Let me have a shot at it!"

"Iyada~" The man with the same hair as the girl replied in a sing-song tone.

"Why _not_?" The gender-bender huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest, "You let me help out yesterday! And the day before yesterday! And the day before the day before yester-"

Li was cut off as Daisuke flicked the chocolate batter at her, causing the sweet substance to stick to her face.

"Because~" The man continued as his daughter tried to lick the splatter off, "Those days were not your birthday."

Li managed to get to the chocolate closest to her lips before pouting (partly at missing the other spots and partly at her father), "Still~! I _like_ helping you!"

Grey eyes softened as Daisuke placed the bowl and whisk onto the countertop, "Kyuu-chan…"

Dark-brown eyes blinked widely at the man, confused at the sudden lack of motion, "…?"

"Mmph!"

"You're _so cute_ when you pout like that!" Daisuke cooed as he hugged his daughter tightly to his chest.

Li waved her arms frantically as she was smothered and her air supply began vanishing.

Thankfully, Lady Luck was on her side for the doorbell rang clearly.

* * *

The door opened to reveal Daisuke with a friendly smile before his eyes lit up with a mysterious sparkle, "Tsunayoshi-kun! Shouichi-kun! Welcome! Kyuu-chan's in the kitchen."

"G-Good afternoon, Daisuke-san." The two greeted as they were ushered in.

The man turned to close and lock the door as the two boys dropped the bag near the living room and poked their head into the kitchen.

A sweatdrop made itself known.

The dark brunette was huddled in the corner mumbling to herself.

"L-Li…?" Tsuna squeaked in worry as he tip-toed closer, "What's wrong?"

A dark and depressing aura hovered over the gender-bender as she thought back.

Shouichi fixed his glasses as he observed the girl before speaking slowly, "Does it have anything to do with chocolate?"

The dismal air seemed to have gotten heavier before the girl robotically turned towards the boys.

Her lips twitched and pursed a bit as large and watery dark-brown eyes stared widely at them.

Both boys sweatdropped again before Tsuna tugged on the girl's shirt, "Come on, Li."

The result?

Li scrunched into a tighter ball and shook her head as metaphoric black cat ears drooped and the tail made small circles on the floor.

Shouichi sighed as Tsuna looked on in worry.

His light-brown eyes then trailed across the room before catching sight of Daisuke with a red and white soccer ball in hand.

The man gave a sly wink and placed the object into Tsuna's hands before returning to his work on the cake batter.

Light-brown and green eyes glanced at one another in confusion before returning to the ball.

Tsuna thought to himself for a second before bouncing the ball once.

Almost immediately, the boys could see that Li had perked up and tensed.

They glanced at one another again, this time in amusement.

The light brunette dropped the ball again and caught it before grinning shyly when his eyes met with dark-brown ones before the latter shifted the gaze over to the soccer ball.

Tsuna moved the ball to the left.

Fixated dark-brown eyes stayed on target as the once-anguished atmosphere dissipated.

He moved it to the right.

If possible, the metaphoric cat tail would be erect and quivering in excitement right about now.

The light brunette pulled back a bit before gently tossing it out of the kitchen door.

A blur swished pass the boys as Li immediately bounded after it (though she nearly collided with a wall).

Tsuna and Shouichi laughed to themselves at how kittenish the gender-bender could be.

CRASH!

The boys jumped at the sound of a collision before their eyes widened and they ran after the gender-bender.

"L-LI/-SAN?"

* * *

"H-Hoi..."

Li commented with her eyes swirling slowly as she laid upside-down against the clear glass door to the backyard.

"Everything's spinning…"

The two boys came running to her aid and skidded near her when-

"WHOA!"

FWUMP!

They tripped and landed right on top of her instead.

POOF!

The three coughed at Li's sudden transformation before simultaneously sighing in relief when the white smoke cleared.

Three pairs of eyes met before their respective owner's face flushed.

Suddenly, the dark brunette turned away as his body shook.

"Pbbft-!"

Li attempted to hide his laughter at their disheveled appearance by clamping a hand over his mouth.

The other two blinked owlishly at the trembling boy below them.

Slowly, the chuckling began to leak out as small tears clung to the corner of the dark brunette's eyes as he pounded a fist onto the hardwood floor before it was released without restraint.

A baffled (and slightly indignant) look came over the other two before Li attempted to calm down.

He waved a hand, as if to say "Wait!" in response to their silent question, before grinning widely with flushed cheeks, "Sorry, sorry!"

"It's just that we all tripped over the same spot!" Li snickered as he pointed to the slightly raised floor.

Tsuna flushed red in embarrassment and smacked a hand over his face as Shouichi sweatdropped and wondered with a weirded out expression, "Why is there…?"

The dark brunette shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, "Oh, you know. Mama's weird when it comes to decorating…"

He paused and thought for a moment before his face turned slightly blue and he gasped, "By the way, mind getting off?"

Silence passed between the two before they yelped in surprise and jumped off.

Li breathed deeply, restoring the oxygen to his lungs, before exhaling in relief, "I can breathe…"

"A-Are you okay?" Tsuna fussed over the gender-bender as Shouichi bowed many times in apology, "W-We're sorry! We forgot!"

As his face returned to its normal color, Li merely smiled and waved it off before chirping happily, "Putting that aside, where'd you guys go with Mama?"

The two paused in their actions before slowly turning red as heat crept up on their cheeks.

"…?" Li tilted his head to the side with an oblivious smile.

Tsuna and Shouichi scrambled to the hallway near the living room that they were in and simultaneously grabbed the large white bag, heaving it into the room.

They bustled towards the gender-bender, but forgot about one minor detail.

THUMP!

The two smaller boys tripped over the raised ground and landed on the bag, causing the content to fly out and crash into the dark brunette.

Tsuna and Shouichi paled as they looked at the twitching boy who was being smothered by the large plush.

"L-Li…?"

"Are you okay, Li-san?"

"…"

The gender-bender didn't say anything as he sat up and rubbed at the red mark on his face before looking curiously at the object.

He held it up.

It was almost completely circular and about 91.4 centimeters in height.

It's soft body was of a bright yellow color while its short wide beak and small stubby talons were a firm orange.

Two small black bead made up its eyes.

All in all, it was a very cute and very huggable jumbo chick plush.

Li blinked slowly as he brought it down onto his lap.

His face was hidden by the giant stuffed toy.

Tsuna glanced nervously and worriedly at Shouichi.

Did he not like it?

Was it too girly for him?

Maybe they should've gone with the flashy yo-yo, after all?

These questions (and others like them) raced through both boys' mind.

"SQUEE~!"

They jumped at the high-pitched squeal and clung onto each other in fear and shock before looking at the source.

The dark brunette hugged the plush close to his body as sparkles were emitted into the air.

Shouichi sweatdropped with a flat expression as Tsuna shaded his eyes and mumbled, "So bright…"

Having cuddled the bird long enough, Li grinned widely at his best friends, "Thank you so much, Tsuna! Shou!"

The boys couldn't help but blush bashfully at the gratitude, "You're welcome."

The dark brunette smiled as she closed her eyes with a faint blush.

"I love it."

Blood rushed to the boys' head as steam whistled from their ears.

They stammered out some words, but made no sense whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Li continued to admire his gift with metaphorical flowers floating around him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

TA DA!

Li's birthday is finally revealed along with some of the Sasaki member's past.

As mentioned, Li is a Leap-Year Baby, meaning that she was born on February 29.

You may ignore my rant but... I can't believe that there are actually people who want to take out February 29! To me, it's the most awesome date in the entire year because people born on that date are about as unique as they can come since it _only_ comes once every four years and the day has a nine in it! (Sorry, I just love the number nine.) Anyway, moving along...!

There isn't an extended ending for this chapter since I'm planning on posting an omake for the next chapter as an add-on for this one.

Also, check out my newest picture! (It's not the best, but I wanted to try my hand at drawing chibis...)

Lastly, I put up a poll on my profile regarding my pictures and would greatly appreciate it if you voted.

Thank you to those who reviewed!

Much love to you for taking the time of to do so and kudos to kimkakashi; there is a reason for _that_.


	17. Omake: Curse It!

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: Curse It!_

Tsuna and Shouichi had already gone home by the time night had fallen and the stars had come out.

Li lay on his stomach in his bed as he smiled happily at his plush while resting his chin on his crossed arms.

Then, a thought floated through his mind.

What was he to call it?

The dark brunette rolled onto his back and grabbed the chick, holding it above him.

His eyes stared seriously into the bird's beady ones.

Ala? (Nah, too religious sounding.)

Petit? (Cute, but it seems to fit a mouse better.)

Piccolo? (Pbbft-! Like the green alien dude with antennae? No can do. The bird's too yellow for it.)

Vinge? (Okay, now the name's just weird! Like wine.)

Siipi? (Sip it…? Seems like someone's thirsty.)

Klein? (Maybe it's time to go shopping…)

Kuiken? (Sounds cool, but not the intent.)

Tsakon? (… No comment.)

A scowl marked the birthday boy's face before he pouted and hugged the plush to his chest.

Curse his bad naming skills!

He groaned and buried his face into the soft fabric; it smelled a bit sweet, must be from the store's perfume.

Suddenly, the door creaked open as a chill went down Li's spine.

He paled and rolled off of the bed as a dark blur jumped on top of where the dark brunette originally was.

A vein throbbed on his temple as Li growled at the intruder, "You…!"

The gender-bender tossed the present onto his desk before dashing towards the trespasser.

He feinted to the left before swiftly bringing a leg up and slamming it towards the other's stomach.

Unfortunately, it hit a wooden tonfa.

Li whimpered and grabbed his leg in pain with tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.

Luckily, the interloper still flew off of the bed and skidded to a stop outside the room but just before hitting the wall.

POOF!

Li calmed and jumped off of the bed before crossing her arms in irritation, "What do you think you're doing?"

The infiltrator merely tucked away his pair of tonfa before dusting himself off, "Testing you."

The vein seemed to have doubled in size as she irked, "Still, Kyouya-nii! It's my sixth birthday! Can't you lay off for _one_ day?"

The older boy merely scoffed, "And have you turning into an herbivore?"

Dark-brown eyes rolled upwards, "Missing one day of training isn't going to make me automatically weak. Besides, I like meat, thank you very much! (Preferably steak cooked rare, please!)"

Grey eyes narrowed at the slight drool coming out from the corner of Li's mouth before Kyouya chucked a tonfa at the girl.

BONK!

"Itai…!" The dark brunette rubbed at the rapidly forming red bump on her forehead before pouting at her cousin, "Meanie…"

SLAM!

Li fell over and twitched as the second tonfa suddenly decided that her face was very attractive.

A thin brow raised as Kyouya crossed his arms and drawled lowly, "Wao."

A heavy cloud descended upon the gender-bender as she huddled in her corner of shame with a few purple will-o'-wisps floating nearby.

The boy casually walked to his discarded weapons and tucked them away (somewhere) before his eyes flickered over to the yellow plush sitting innocently on the table.

An eyebrow raised again as he gravitated towards the large chick.

He paused in front of it before lifting a hand and… stroking its short wings delicately.

The movement caught Li's sight as she tilted her head to look at him before silently creeping closer.

She stood directly behind him and watched as he poked the chick in the head lightly before musing aloud with a cheeky grin, "That's right. Kyouya-nii likes small and cute animals, too."

THWACK!

The dark brunette fell to her knees and clutched at her midriff with waterfalls of pained tears coursing from her eyes, "Hidoi yo~!"

The boy simply turned on his heels and began to walk out of the room but paused to brandish his tonfa at the girl, "Speak of this and I'll bite you to death."

Well, Kyouya didn't have to worry seeing as how Li had huddled back in her dark and shameful corner while growing mushrooms and sighing dejectedly.

(The violet will-o'-wisps seemed to have tripled around her with a few indigo ones scattered here and there.)

However, the boy didn't leave immediately as he continued to falter and glance at the plush.

"…"

He tilted his head up a bit in thought (though his expression never changed).

"Hane."

Li perked up a bit before blinking as one of the meanings of the word was processed, "Feathers? Where?"

WHAM!

The dark brunette twitched once… twice… and fell motionless as a large bump grew from the back of head head.

"Kamikorosu."

* * *

(Extended Ending)

Li held an icepack to her bump as she pouted at her plush, "Mou… Kyouya-nii's as rough as ever."

Black beady eyes stared back at her as the everlasting happiness of the toy bird soon washed away the dark brunette's irritation.

She sighed and leaned into the softness of the stuffed animal.

"Still, at least you have a name now. Ne, Hane-chi~?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

*74 coughs in embarrassment.*

I meant to post this up the night I posted up the previous chapter but some things happened and... yeah.

Anyway...

To jestie kiryuu: I don't want to spoil things, but it sure seems that way, no?

Moving along!

Here's a short preview of the next chapter, as per suggested by Yuki-Inkorporated (on DeviantArt):

_"Why do I have to go?" A dark brunette complained to the two adults._

_A baffled redhead sputtered out, "I won't be with Li-san?"_

_Sad light-brown eyes looked at the two, "So we really _won't_ be together anymore?"_

I won't go anymore into depth, so just wait for it to come out.

Lastly, please vote in my poll!

It ends on the fourth of September so, until then, no more pictures will be posted up.

So far, it's two for yes and one for no.


	18. Omake: Morning Surprises

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: Morning Surprises._

A spiky black head bobbed as its owner sneakily tiptoed out of his room.

Lips curled up in a mischievous smirk as the boy inched ever closer to another room.

The door was simply designed.

It was wooden, smooth and waxed, and in the shape of a kunai with "Kyuu-chan" engraved on it.

Grey eyes sparkled in thought as hands gently opened the door.

Inside was relatively messy with old clothes scattered on the chair, a closet door hanging open and a hockey stick on the floor.

Messy dark-brown locks poked out from under the red and white comforter, which was half-off of the similarly colored bed.

"Kyuu…" The soft whisper was heard everytime the sleeping brunette exhaled, "Kyuu…"

The smirk turned into a fond smile as its owner snuck into the room and hovered over the bed.

A hand brushed the bangs away from the younger one's face.

The brunette wrinkled her nose before…

"Ha kyuu!"

She sneezed slightly and sniffled before turning onto her side and relaxing once more.

Lips twitched upwards as their owner leaned down to the younger one's ear.

He gently blew at it, making it twitch.

Thin brows furrowed for a moment before relaxing.

His heart thumped in anticipation as the boy took a deep breath.

Inhale.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, XIAO-!"

WHAM!

A leg kicked out from its previously laid-back position and into the owner of the loud voice, sending him twirling into a wall.

Swirls replaced grey eyes as their owner slid down, landing on his face, and twitched.

Several veins throbbed on the brunette's temple as a low growl warned.

"Kiyoshi…"

Said male blinked away the dizziness before grinning upwards happily as his younger sibling stood over him.

"Xiao Li! Happy birth-!"

He was cut off as a foot implanted into the back of his head, forcing his face down.

"You…" Li started as her bangs shadowed face, only leaving two glaring red eyes, "What do you think you're doing?"

The male mumbled something, but it was muffled by the floor.

"Waking me up at such an ungodly hour."

One could almost see the flames of fury burning around her.

"And for such a stupid reason."

She pressed her foot down harder, even rubbing his head in.

"I was born on the 29th of February. There's no need to celebrate it when it's not even that day."

Kiyoshi managed to turn his head in order to speak properly. Or rather, whine properly.

"But, Xiao Li~! It's still a year since your last birthday~! We should always celebrate the day you came into my life~!"

A brow twitched as the dark brunette scowled, "Celebrate if you want, but…"

Her aura flared as she retracted her foot, only to kick the boy in the side and into her open closet with a thump.

"DON'T WAKE ME UP 'TILL IT'S AT LEAST NOON!"

That said, Li shut the doors in his face and stuck her hockey stick through the closet handles.

Dusting off her hands, she added with a muffled yawn.

"Stay quiet until I let you out later…"

* * *

(Extended Ending)

Grey eyes blinked at the darkness obscuring their owner's vision.

How long was he out for?

Kiyoshi pushed his hands to where he thought the door was.

No movement.

He blinked again before banging on it.

"Xiao Li~? Where are you?"

He then paused and thought for a moment.

"Wait… Where am _I_?"

He paled a bit as a depressed aura surrounded, "Did I miss Xiao Li's birthday…?"

Waterfalls poured down his face as he continuously banged on the surface in front of him.

"NOOOOO~! XIAO LI~! I'M SO SORRY~! I MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY AND I-!"

"What are you doing?"

Kiyoshi blinked away his tears before sweatdropping when he saw light shining at him from behind and onto the smooth wood surface in front of him.

He turned his head and met with a flat expression and a familiar caret-frown.

His eyes sparkled before he tried to glomp his rescuer.

"Xiao Li~!"

WHAM!

His face met with the bottom of her slippers.

"Just for that," The dark brunette started, "I'm leaving you in here again."

"Waa~! Hidoi~! Xiao Li~!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This is the second omake I've posted up. By the "end" of this story, there should be at least five.

I purposely left out Kiyoshi in Li's birthday-fic just to make this omake.

*74 laughs and scratches cheek.*

I think that I may be a bit mean towards Kiyoshi, but his personality just begs for violent affection.

*GN coughs in embarrassment.*

I just realized that I put the preview in a bit early.

That preview's for the next event, not for the omake.

I apologize if anyone was confused.

*Gin bows in apology.*

Sorry! I've been a bit of an airhead since I moved into my college dorm...

*Cue sweatdrop.*

Another thanks to those who reviewed!


	19. Event 17: I

Date Started: Friday, August 06, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 17: I..._

A dark brunette ran her fingers through her spiky hair, growling softly to herself when they ran into a couple of obstacles.

A caret-shaped frown made its way onto her lips as she tugged the two barrettes from their position and stuffed them into her schoolbag.

A scowl plastered onto her face making the girl appear as either a spoiled brat or a troublemaking delinquent.

She breathed deeply and sighed softly as she thought back, making her shoulders drop in resignation as a dark cloud floated over her.

_"Why do I have to go?" The girl had whined a few days prior to that fateful day._

_A tall man with similar hair sweatdropped and gave an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Kyuu-chan, but it's compulsory education."_

_The signature frown made itself known as she gave the man a blank stare before a hand was placed on her head._

_She looked up before pouting at the tall woman behind her, "Mama! Do I _really_ have to go? 'Cause I don't want to."_

_The girl's mother raised an eyebrow at the protest before roughly messing the spiky locks, "Compulsory education means that it's required. So, in short, yes."_

_"But-!" The girl started as she waved her arms frantically, "What about Tsuna and Shou? I don't want to go if I can't see them!"_

_"Now, now, Kyuu-chan." The man tried to explain to the child, "Tsuna's born after the first of April so he'll be attending it next year. And, Shouichi-kun is going to another school."_

_The child opened her mouth to protest some more when her mother spoke up with a dangerous glint in her dark-brown eyes._

_"Sasaki Li. You _will_ be going to Namimori Shogakko lest you want to be _permanently_ separated from your friends."_

And so...

Li scowled at the copper plate that seemed to mock her with its contents spelling out the elementary school's name in clear and legible print.

Reluctantly, she began to trudge forward with her spring sailor outfit swaying in tune with her movements as her eyes clouded over.

The smiling faces of two boys crossed her mind's eye.

Dark-brown eyes slowly came to focus as she looked up at the cloudy sky and whispered softly.

"Ora wa…"

* * *

A redhead sat near the front of the classroom with his chin resting on a palm.

His green eyes were glazed over as he stared blankly at the chalkboard in front of him.

Shouichi barely registered the one-digit numbers and simple arithmetic symbols on the board as he thought back to his conversation.

_"I won't be with Li-san?" The boy had questioned, completely baffled, "Why not?"_

_A woman with long brown hair gave an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Shou-chan, but Suimin Shogakko is much closer to home, especially in the case of an emergency."_

_"…" Shouichi frowned and crossed his arms, "Then, why does Onee-san get to go the school she wants?"_

_Said girl flicked her long red hair over her shoulders and stuck out her tongue, "Because, I'm older."_

_The boy twitched as a vein throbbed on his temple, "So? You're still in elementary school!"_

_Their mother sighed as the two began to argue before cutting in so that it doesn't get out of hand, "Shou-chan, your sister wanted to and was able to get into a ladder school."_

_"Besides, _Shou-chan_," The younger girl added in a mocking tone, "Namimori Shogakko isn't all that great."_

_(Somewhere in that named school, a certain black-haired boy felt the urge to pull out his pair of tonfa - despite being in class.)_

Shouichi frowned as his eyes sharpened when the student next to him was called to the board.

It wasn't fair.

Just because his sister wanted to become a lawyer, she was able to go to wherever she wanted.

He, on the other hand…

Green eyes slid shut as he thought back to his birthday.

To the third of December.

The beating of drums and the stringing of guitars from the stereo still reverberated through him to this day.

A shiver trembled through his body.

He wanted to become a musician.

To soothe the distressed like how he was soothed.

By his friends and by the music that played.

The redhead startled out of his reverie as he was called to the board.

Shouichi sighed and got up to take the white chalk from his classmate.

Standing in front of the green surface, he frowned at the object in his hand before writing.

Why couldn't he be doing this with his friends behind him?

As he finished, the pressure on the object heightened and the chalk broke in half.

Shouichi jumped a bit in surprise at the sound before sighing and dumping the pieces onto the chalkboard ledge.

He returned to his seat and continued to muse, this time of his friends when the news was broken to.

_"It's because of school, right?" He recalled asking the dark brunette when she posed her dilemma._

_Dark-brown eyes met with his sympathetic green ones for a silent moment before she complained, "It's horrible~! I won't be able to see you two in the daytime anymore!"_

_He nodded in agreement before confessing, "Okaa-san told me yesterday about this."_

_A frown graced his lips as he recalled his sister, "She won't let me go to Namimori Shogakko since it's… not as high level."_

_Li blinked before scowling, "What's wrong with a school that shares the name of our home?"_

_The redhead sweatdropped and shook his head, "That's not what I meant…"_

_Shouichi sighed before looking up, "Either way, I'm stuck at Suimin and you at Namimori…"_

_He then shifted his gaze over to the dazed light brunette near him._

_A weight fell onto his heart._

_Tsuna was lucky._

_Since he and Li knew each other longer, they were also that much closer._

_Not only that..._

_In a year, he'll also be going to Namimori Shogakko so he and Li would be able to see each other despite the year difference._

_Meanwhile, _he_ would be stuck without _them_._

The bell rang as Shouichi mussed his red hair in irritation before placing his books into his bag as lunch soon arrived.

A glance at the apple rabbits on his tray brought forth the memory of the rabbit plush from the carnival.

He sighed as he poke the decorative fruit with yearning feelings.

"Boku wa…"

* * *

Sitting under a familiar cherry-blossom tree, a light brunette stared at the closed black gates of Acorn Daycare.

The boy sighed softly as he brought his knees to his chest and leaned his chin on them, "It's not the same…"

Silence fell over him as he continued to watch nothing in particular and reminisced.

_"LI!" The light brunette called out happily to the other._

_Said brunette lifted her head before a smile appeared on her once-frowning lips, "Tsuna-Fish!"_

_Tsuna nearly fell over at the familiar nickname before jogging over to the girl and pouting, "I'm not a fish."_

_Li merely grinned and ruffled the boy's soft locks, "I know. But, you're still my Tsuna-Fish!"_

_The light brunette sighed at the other's stubbornness before his eyes caught onto the faltering smile, "Li…?"_

_"Oh! There's Shou!" The girl pointed out as she waved ecstatically at the arriving redhead, "HEY~! SHOU~!"_

_Green eyes lit up upon recognition before Shouichi made his way towards the two._

_Meanwhile, Tsuna gave the dark brunette a confused and worried look but turned to smile at the redhead, "Hey, Shouichi-kun."_

_The redhead grinned lightly back, "Good morning, Tsunayoshi-kun, Li-san!"_

That day started out quite normally.

They met up in that same quaint park where he and Li had first met.

Where everything seemed to have started.

And, where the trio soon dubbed as their hangout spot.

_"I bet that I can fly over that fence!" The dark brunette proclaimed as she swung higher and higher on the swings._

_Tsuna paled as he gauged the long distance from the swing set to the small metal poles in front of them while the redhead stuttered out a warning._

_"Th-That's not a very good idea, Li-san! You can get seriously hurt!"_

_Li merely grinned confidently, "When I make it, I'm claiming this park as ours!"_

_Alarm was evident on the two boys face as the girl released her grip at the greatest possible height._

_Her body flew forward as the wind rushed pass her._

_An excited grin made itself evident on her face._

_Her dark-brown eyes sparkled brightly, a stark contrast to the horrified awe that was blatant in the boys' eyes._

_Yet, as she soared across the bright blue sky, she looked as if she belonged there, free from restraint._

_Almost as if a pair of wings guided her to safety, she landed in a crouch a few feet pass the fence._

_Li slowly stood up and turned to give an accomplished grin and a thumbs-up._

_"Told'ya I can do it!"_

But, the days where they can all be together are beginning to thin.

_As the sun began to sink in the distance, the three kids sat on top of the jungle gym._

_The playground was beginning to empty as the other children left with their family and friends._

_The light brunette kicked his feet lightly before looking up at the gender-bender near him._

_Come to think of it..._

_Only months before, he had been a loner, always too afraid to wander too far from his parents._

_Now, he's done things he otherwise would've never even dreamed of._

_He bought a birthday gift for his best girl friend. (He's never even _talked_ to a girl besides his mom.)_

_He spent Valentine's Day with said friend. (Well, actually, she, as a guy, bursted into his room in a panic.)_

_He went to the shrine on New Years without his family. (And _actually_ got a good luck slip for once.)_

_He spent Christmas with not only his family, but also his friends. (Consequently, he received his first friendly kiss.)_

A bright blush heated the boy's cheeks as he continued to remember before he vigorously shook it away, earning some strange looks from anyone bothering to look at him at that moment.

_He sang without regard to his surroundings to cheer up his best boy friend. (And managed to do so without screwing up.)_

_He entered a Haunted House and even dared to attempt a rescue. (Despite his initial fear and later shock.)_

_His birthday was possibly the most elaborate and surprising one he had ever received. (As well as being the first birthday without his old man and with friends.)_

_He spoke vulgarly for the first time. (Granted, it wasn't as bad as how some others spoke.)_

_And, finally, the one thing that another person couldn't have possibly done… (Unless, they met someone like Sasaki Li.)_

_He, Sawada Tsunayoshi, befriended the most caring and weirdest girl who could switch between genders. (Even if she couldn't control it.)_

_Yeah, he's done things that few could imagine._

_And, it's all because of Li (with some coincidence and luck, of course)._

Tsuna buried his face into his knees and smiled secretly to himself with a faint blush.

Recollecting all of this now, it's weird to imagine life without the gender-bender and redhead by his side.

His smile faltered a bit.

Li and Shouichi aren't there by his side right now, but…

Would they ever leave him for good one day?

_On that day in the park, Tsuna had the strangest feeling when he had first caught that frown on his friend's face._

_It was like something was squirming in his guts, unpleasant and uncomfortable._

_Even then, he pushed that feeling aside._

_But, it never faded._

_By the end of the day, it seemed to have gotten stronger._

_More so when Li began to speak during their relaxation on top of the cool metal bars._

_"Hey, guys?"_

_Tsuna blinked and looked over at the girl with confusion written over his face, "What is it, Li?"_

_A short pause before a long, exaggerated sigh was released by the gender-bender as she started, "I'm not going to the daycare this year."_

_The light brunette froze as the feeling reached its peak._

_Did he jinx it with his recent thoughts on the writhing feeling inside of him?_

_Alarm was evident on the boy's face, but Shouichi merely blinked before he slowly nodded in understanding, "It's because of school, right?"_

_The light brunette furrowed his brows in confusion as he vaguely registered the two's conversation and actions._

_Yes, he had heard of school and its function._

_But, he didn't understand why they all wouldn't be in the same year._

_Tsuna grabbed onto the gender-bender's sleeve and tugged on it, "I don't get it. Why aren't we still together?"_

_Dark-brown eyes met briefly with green ones before Li began to explain, "Because I was born of February 29 and Shou was born a year before on the third of December."_

_The tidbits didn't clarify much for the boy and it showed clearly on his face._

_"Li-san and I were born before the first of April, which is the first day of school," Shouichi stated slowly as he worded it carefully, "So we have to start this year. You were born after so you'll start next year."_

_The information processed as light-brown eyes slowly widened before Tsuna whimpered softly, "So we really _won't_ be together anymore?"_

And, that was how it was to be.

Li would go to Namimori Elementary School while Shouichi would attend Suimin Elementary School.

And, Tsuna…

Tsuna was to be without them for a whole year at Acorn Daycare.

The light brunette bit the bottom of his lips as his eyes stung a bit.

He buried his face into his arms as his grip tightened around his upper arms.

"Ore wa…"

* * *

The three closed their eyes and sighed, unknowingly in stereo.

"… jissaini sorera wo ketsujou."

_… really miss them._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

And, thus, it's revealed how horrible the first day of school (and school, in general) can be.

*GN sighs.*

Speaking of classes, I finally started my college courses. Nothing too horrible... yet. Just an overview, but the amount of exams that's coming up makes me nervous...

Anyway!

I made up Suimin Shogakko: it's a public elementary school, nothing fancy. The school that Shouichi's sister is going to, the ladder school, is basically a highly competitive school that focuses on academics and is supposed to allow its students to get into private schools easier. It may or may not be true, but I like the idea of a lazy person being smart. (Shikamaru, anyone?)

The part about school starting in April and who starts school that year is true if my research was correct.

I don't know Japanese, but I enjoy adding it. That translation is the one I got from a translator I downloaded on my IPod Touch.

I thank those who reviewed and such!

(And, one of these days, I've got to draw little Li in the sailor uniform...)

* * *

**Preview:**

For the most part, he was left alone - which was good.

For the other part, he was made fun of - which was bad.

If he were with him, then he wouldn't have felt out of place.

If she were with him, then the jeers would've lightened.

If both were with him, then no one would've messed with them.

Just, why was school invented, anyway?


	20. Event 18: Friends And A Promise!

Date: Friday, September 03, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 18: We'll Always Be Friends! It's A Promise!_

A boy with light-brown hair sighed softly as he waited by the open black gates of Acorn Daycare.

He scuffed his sneakers against the hard sidewalk as he reviewed his day.

It was quiet.

And, quite frankly, boring.

For the most part, he was left alone - which was good.

His lips quirked up in a sardonic smile before tilting down.

For the other part, he was made fun of - which was bad.

Tsuna pursed his lips together as he tightened his grip on his bento.

Jumbled voices and shadowed faces crossed his memories.

Light-brown eyes dulled.

If Shouichi were with him, then he wouldn't have felt out of place.

If Li were with him, then the jeers would've lightened.

If both were with him, then no one would've messed with them.

Why?

Because, if Li was protective of one of them, then she was overprotective with both of them.

And, much quicker to retaliate.

Tsuna crouched down and leaned his chin on his knees.

If they were with him…

Then he wouldn't be lonely.

He closed his eyes and sighed softly.

It felt as if his happiness was slowly floating away with each exhale.

But…

* * *

Something warm and soft covered his closed eyes, making the light brunette squeak and jump in surprise and fear.

The emotions faded though when he heard two familiar giggles.

Heat crept up to his cheeks as he heard the strong voice sing, "Guess who~!"

An excited grin crept up on his lips as his heart thumped in anticipation.

"Li! Shouichi-kun!"

"Bing, bong~!"

The hands left their place in favor of spinning the boy to face their owner.

Light-brown eyes met with darker ones as the dark brunette gave a playful grin with the redhead by her side.

"It feels like forever!" Shouichi declared with a smile, patting the boy on the shoulder lightly.

Tsuna nodded in agreement before squeaking in embarrassment when Li tackled him into a tight embrace, making his whole being flush red.

"I missed you _sooooo_ much!" The gender-bender confessed as she picked him up and spun around, "School was so _boring_! Even Mama's training is better than it!"

Slowly, the light-brunette's eyes began to spin as his vision swirled from the motion.

"L-Li-san!" Shouichi yelped while waving his arms.

"Put Tsunayoshi-kun down!"

Li stopped twirling the boy in her arms before dark-brown eyes widened.

She panicked at the dizzy expression, "TS-TSUNA?"

"H-Hoi…" Was the slurred response.

* * *

Small tears clung to the corner of her eyes as Li stood in front of the boys with a guilty expression and a depressed aura as a purple will-o'-wisp floated around her.

"I'm sorry… (Boo hoo…)"

The redhead sweatdropped at the exaggerated emotion before flapping his hand at her, "M-Maa… Cheer up, Li-san."

The atmosphere intensified as the dark brunette dropped her head and shoulders.

Tsuna sat on the sidewalk for a moment longer before his head cleared.

He stood up and walked over to Li with a small smile.

Lightly tugging on the girl's uniform, Tsuna whispered shyly, "It's okay, Li. I missed you too…"

His cheeks flushed a rosy color again upon admitting his feelings before deepening when Li immediately perked up.

"A-Anyway!" Tsuna started, trying to ignore the sparkles that began to glitter around the gender-bender, "D-Did you two come here together?"

Shouichi smiled before sweatdropping as the dark brunette seemed to have gone off in her own world with a goofy grin on her lips, "Y-Yeah. Since my school was on the way here from hers, she stopped by and we decided to walk together."

"That's good 'cause I missed you too." Tsuna smiled brightly before also sweatdropping as Li began to chuckle lowly with her bangs shadowing her eyes.

The redhead grinned back and blushed a bit in surprise and happiness, "Same here. It's just not the same as all of us being together, ne?"

They purposely ignored Li as she turned away from them and began to cackle louder with a wide devilish smile, showing off her sharp canines.

The light brunette nodded enthusiastically before asking, "How was it? Elementary school, that is."

"Eh?" Shouichi blinked before pondering and answering slowly, "It's not that different. Just, less recess."

Tsuna pulled a face at that answer, "Then, what do you guys do?"

At this question, the dark brunette whirled around and wrapped an arm around the lighter one with her other arm dramatically placed over her forehead, "It was _terrible_!"

The redhead deadpanned at that though Li continued as if she didn't see it.

"We had to do _work_!"

"Work?" Tsuna startled with a bewildered look as the other nodded in mock wisdom.

"That's right. We had to use our noodles to work out problems."

The light brunette paled a bit, "W-What kind of problems?"

Her bangs shadowed her face again as she replied lowly, "What kind of problems, you ask?"

Tsuna nodded hesitantly, partly wondering if it was such a good idea too.

"We…"

She started as she lowered her lips to his ear.

"Had to…"

Her voice lowered to a mere whisper of the wind.

"Find out…"

The light brunette gulped audibly as the girl paused for theatricality.

"IF THE CHICKEN CAME BEFORE THE EGG!"

"_HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII_!"

Tsuna let loose a loud frightened scream and jumped away with a pale face and a hand over his rapidly beating heart.

Shouichi smacked a hand over his forehead before dragging it over his eyes, "_Li-san_…"

The dark brunette laughed boisterously as she clutched at her abdomen with tears clinging to the edge of her eyes, "S-Sorry, but I couldn't resist!"

The spiky haired boy huddled near the daycare's wall with waterfalls of tears pouring from his eyes and a dark cloud hovering over him.

The redhead sighed and shook his head as his shoulders dropped, "Honestly…"

None noticed the shadow near them.

"Ahem!"

The cough made them jump in surprise.

Three pairs of eyes turned towards the speaker before one dark brunette twitched at the sight of a certain blonde woman.

"Shouldn't you three be going home, now?" Came the nosy question.

Li wrinkled her nose at the puffy smile before grabbing Tsuna's and Shouichi's hand and bolting for escape.

She paused only to shout back.

"¡Adios, loca ardilla!"

With that, they left a confused daycare owner to ponder on the foreign words.

* * *

Once far away, the three slowed to a leisure walk as the dark brunette sung merrily.

Shouichi and Tsuna lagged a bit behind to catch their breath.

Suddenly, Li hummed flatly to herself before looking at the bright blue sky.

"Hey guys?"

The boys looked at her in confusion.

"Do you remember what I said that day?"

They stopped.

_"So we really _won't_ be together anymore?" Tsuna had whimpered with teary eyes._

_Shouichi hesitated and frowned with furrowed brows and sad eyes._

_The light brunette swallowed back his tears as he looked down at his quivering hands._

_"…"_

_None of them seemed to know what to say to that question._

_If asked that question only days back, they all would've all denied it._

_After all, they've been doing practically everything together ever since they became friends._

_But, now…_

_Now, they were splitting up._

_The road of life had forked into different directions._

_And each were to follow a different path._

_Li clenched her shorts in her small hands and scowled before shaking her head vigorously_

_"IYADA!"_

_The boys jumped in surprise._

_The dark brunette looked up and bared her canines defensively, "Iyada tte ba!"_

_"Li…?" Tsuna murmured with wide concerned eyes._

_"Li-san…" The redhead mumbled as he looked at her in astonishment._

_Said girl frowned her caret-frown as she glared at nothing in particular before turning to look at the boys sternly._

_"We _will_ stay together."_

_Light-brown eyes blinked dumbfounded as comprehension soon dawned on the redhead._

_Green eyes turned determined as Shouichi grinned lightly and nodded, "Un!"_

_Li grinned back before holding out a hand to the befuddled brunette._

_"We were all talking about how we won't see each other anymore, but that's wrong!"_

_Shouichi nodded as placed a hand over hers._

_"That's right! We'll still see each other, even if it's not _all_ day!"_

_Tsuna blinked and stared at the outstretched hands before looking up at the unwavering eyes of his friends._

_Green eyes sparked with a certain resolution as the dark brunette gave a toothy grin._

_"Ne, Tsuna?"_

_The light brunette's eyes softened as he gently placed a hand over the pile with a blush and a smile before nodding, "Hai!"_

_"In that case," Li smirked as she grab the boys into a partial huddle, "Let's make a promise!"_

Tsuna blushed as Shouichi smiled before both nodded happily, "Un."

Li paused and turned to them with a grin as she held out her hand.

The boys grinned and followed suit, placing one over the other.

"Ora-tachi wa tsuneni o tomodachi to saremasu!" Li stated strongly.

"Yakusoku da!" Came the determined chorus.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Last day of class today!

*Gin tries to do a happy dance but epically fails*

... Anyway! I'm finally going home for a week-long break, but I have so much readings and assignments to do...

*74 sighs and slumps over*

College life is as tiring as people say.

But, moving along...

This is filled with fluff; of course, you all knew that.

As a safe precaution, I'm putting up some loose translations here (in the case that some didn't understand the non-English phrases):

(1) ¡Adios, loca ardilla! - Goodbye, crazy squirrel!

(2) IYADA! Iyada tte ba! - NO! I refuse!

(3) Ora-tachi wa tsuneni o tomodachi to saremasu! - We'll always be friends!

(4) Yakusoku da! - It's a promise!

Regarding the pronoun "ora" (which is used by Li), according to Wikipedia, it's often used by children influenced by Dragon Ball and Crayon Shin-chan; it is mainly used in Kanto and farther north and it often gives off the sense of a country bumpkin. For me, though, it's close enough to "ore" and it doesn't have a level of speech, which (hopefully) means that it can be used in all settings.

**Lastly, the last day to vote is today!**

(It's actually pretty close...)

Other than that, I thank all my reviewers and readers!

*74 bows happily*

¡Muchas gracias!

* * *

**Preview:**

"Please, Kyouya-nii?" A certain dark brunette asked.

"Sasaki Li..." The male mumbled softly.

WHAM!

"Kamikorosu, soushoku no itoko."


	21. Event 19: ¡Cinco de Mayo! Kodomo no Hi?

Date: Friday, September 03, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 19: ¡Cinco de Mayo! Eh? Kodomo no Hi?_

Two children stood across from each other.

One had spiky dark-brown hair and wide dark-brown eyes.

The other had short, tamed black hair and narrow grey eyes.

The former placed his hands together in a pleading fashion, "Please, Kyouya-nii?"

"Sasaki Li…" The latter mumbled before swiftly bringing up a tonfa, "Kamikorosu."

Li nearly fell over at the typical response before pouting, "Oh, come _on_!"

But, the dark brunette couldn't say much more as the wooden tonfa came at him.

He swiftly jumped back before dodging to his left as the second one came at him.

Then, came the flurry of attacks as the older boy tried to hit the younger one.

Li, however, dodged the onslaught, having trained with Kyouya for quite a while.

A glint appeared in the black haired boy's eyes as he swiftly uppercutted the other with his weapon.

Dark-brown eyes widened as their owner was caught by the hit to his chin, sending him flying.

Li crashed into the soft grass and groaned softly before startling as he heard Kyouya running towards him.

The dark brunette pushed himself to roll backwards and perform a handstand as the tonfa slammed into the ground before Li twisted his body and swung his left leg towards Kyouya.

Kyouya blocked the kick with a tonfa just as Li's other leg swung towards him, slamming into the other tonfa, but Li didn't stop there.

The dark brunette turned and slammed his left heel onto Kyouya's shoulder, forcing him to a knee.

_Uno..._

The older boy shook off the shock, however, and thrusted his free tonfa towards Li, but the dark brunette pivoted on one hand before backflipping and skidding to temporary safety.

Kyouya raised his tonfa and dashed forward.

Having caught his breath and balance, Li ducked and released a sweeping kick, but the older boy jumped over it and slammed his weapon towards the face.

The gender-bender was thrown to the side and rolled for a distance before pushing himself up and back onto his feet.

Digging one foot into the grass, Li sprang forward and ducked under an incoming attack before turning and performing a high sweeping kick, successfully hitting Kyouya's side and putting some distance between the two.

_Dos..._

The older boy smirked a bit at the sharp dark-brown eyes before rising from his crouch and crossing his arms as Li's right foot dug into the two tonfa and pushed his cousin backwards.

The dark brunette turned and performed a back kick to Kyouya's chin.

_Tres..._

The Hibari took the hit in stride and slammed his tonfa upwards, hitting the back of the knee and flipping the Sasaki over.

Li landed on one foot and barely dodged a swipe to his face, leaving a red abrasion, before he jumped over his cousin and tried kicked him in the back of his head.

Kyouya simply blocked it before slamming his other tonfa into the offending leg, making Li land on his back.

The dark brunette scowled before his eyes widened at the incoming attack.

A wooden tonfa raised and aimed for the gender-bender's throat but Li rolled backwards and caught the arm with his legs.

Bracing his hands against the ground, the dark brunette raised himself before twisting his body and slamming the older boy into the ground.

_Cuatro..._

The tonfa bounced a few feet away, but Kyouya paid it no mind as he swung his other weapon towards his cousin and slammed it into his side, knocking him away.

Li skidded a bit in a crouch as Kyouya dashed towards him, grabbing his fallen tonfa on the way, and swung at the head with one.

The dark brunette dodged and performed a roundhouse kick to the underarm just as Kyouya swung his other tonfa at the torso.

_Cinco._

Both hits landed, but Kyouya recovered much more quickly and raised a tonfa before slamming it downwards, smashing Li's head into the ground.

POOF!

The white smoke billowed in the wind briefly and dissipated.

A moment of silence passed between the fighters before the gender-bender twitched.

Slowly, a large bump grew from underneath the wooden weapon.

"…"

Li clutched the bruised spot and whined with tears pouring from her eyes, "You didn't have to hit so hard, Kyouya-nii!"

The older boy merely placed his weapons away and turned while dusting himself off, "I said I wanted a real fight."

"Still…" The dark brunette whimpered as the waterworks stopped (save for the tears clinging to the edge of her eyes), "Why couldn't you ask for something _normal_ (and painless)?"

Grey eyes turned sharply to the girl, making her jump, before their owner turned away and snorted.

A vein throbbed on her temple as Li crossed her arms and grumbled through pursed lips, "Next time, I'm getting you a carp streamer and a sombrero for your birthday."

* * *

(Extended Ending)

The black haired boy twitched at the last comment before his bangs shadowed his face and he murmured lowly.

"What was that?"

Li, however, appeared oblivious to it as she rambled, "I mean, your birthday's on the fifth of May, so it fits."

A dark cloud hovered over Kyouya.

"Both Children's Day and Cinco de Mayo occur on that particular day."

Grey eyes gleamed with a certain amount of bloodlust.

"Thus, a carp streamer and a sombrero would be appropriate, no?"

WHAM!

Li twitched with swirly eyes as her larger bump gained a smaller bump and simmered.

Kyouya sheathed his tonfa again though a vein throbbed noticeably on his otherwise expressionless face.

"I have no use for a fake fish nor am I Mexican, soushoku no itoko."

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"You know…" Li started to say as she pressed an ice pack to her bumps, "May sure has a lot of things to do with the number five."

Kyouya neatly packed up the first-aid kit, not really paying attention to his younger cousin.

"It's the fifth month. It's fifth day has three special events: your birthday, Kodomo no Hi and Cinco de Mayo. And…"

She trailed off before grinning with a thumbs-up, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the boy.

"I managed to land five clean hits on you!"

BAM!

A wooden tonfa knocked into her forehead as a new bump occurred.

"But, _that_ was eight hits."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

TA DA~!

It's a birthday-fic for Kyouya~!

Of course, no matter what day it is, I highly doubt that Kyouya will ever change.

*sweat*

Anyway!

**The poll ended with the majority favoring my putting up pictures every once in a while. Please check my profile to see what kind of spoilers the pictures have before viewing! Thank you to those who voted and I apologize if it wasn't a long enough time for those who haven't. But, it's always optional for you to look at my artworks, just as it's optional for you to view my story (or, stories if I ever get to more). Currently uploaded is "Daijoubu...?" which features Sasaki Li as a teenager.**

Moving along...

I'm curious. **What do you, the readers, want for pairings during the Teen Years, or in the future?** That is, who (anyone) do you want to get together in the end? I may or may not be able to conform to your opinions, but I still want to know. Maybe it'll spark a new idea. *wink*wink*nudge*nudge* Just leave a review, or PM me! *grins with a thumbs-up* (I don't want to put up a poll seeing as how there's a VERY large amount of different pairings that can be done. *sweatdrops*)

THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA!

* * *

**Loose Translations:**

(1) soushoku no itoko - herbivorous cousin

(2) Uno... Dos... Tres... Cuatro... Cinco. - One... Two... Three... Four... Five.

(3) Kamikorosu. - I'll bite you to death.

**

* * *

Preview:**

"Alrighty then!" A certain dark brunette cheered at the sight.

A redhead was wary, "Are you sure we can do this?"

"Sh-Shouldn't we have someone with us?" A light brunette whimpered.

"Sasaki Li," Came the low whisper, "What have you done...?"


	22. Event 20: A Small Price To Pay

Date: Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 20: A Small Price To Pay._

"Alrighty then!" A dark brunette cheered as she gazed proudly at the supplies on the counter, "I think that that's all that we need!"

A redhead stood behind her and gazed warily in the same direction, "Are you sure we can do this, Li-san?"

"Sh-Shouichi-kun's right," A light brunette squeaked while clinging onto the girl's apron, "Don't we need an adult with us?"

Li snorted and waved off the worry, "Relax, Shou, Tsuna. I've done this plenty of times (with them in the living room). Besides, Papa's out doing his duty."

"Then, what about Fang-san?" Shouichi asked slowly, "She's free, right?"

"…" Li quieted for a moment.

"About that…" The dark brunette trailed off and shifted her eyes off to the side.

"Li…?" Tsuna started to ask slowly, "Is there a reason why you sent her off with Okaa-san?"

The gender-bender looked back at the boys with wide eyes, "Maybe?"

"Li…" Shouichi started in a warning tone.

The dark brunette blinked back (not) innocently, "Yes…?"

Green eyes narrowed disapprovingly as the redhead's temper began to make itself known, "Call Fang-san."

Li pouted and crossed her arms, turning away, "Iyada."

Tsuna paled a bit as a vein throbbed on the older boy's temple.

The light brunette tugged on the girl's apron again, "L-Li, maybe you should. It's not safe to do this alone."

Dark-brown eyes blinked before the girl pouted, "But, we're not alone. We're in this together!"

A second vein popped up as Tsuna squeaked, "S-Still!"

Li gazed at the boys for a moment longer before sighing dramatically, "Fine. Let's create a poisonous cake with Mama."

The veins disappeared as Shouichi nodded in agreement, "Right."

A pause occurred in a moment of silence.

"Wait…" Both boys did a double take and paled, "WHAT?"

Li put on a cheerful smile and began to skip to the phone, "Mama's horrible in the kitchen."

An incredulous look overcame the boys as she continued.

"In fact, the last time she tried to cook ramen, she burnt water."

The boys paled even more and shuddered as images of charred cake and rotten frosting flashed through their mind's eye.

They glanced at each other before squeaking as Li picked up the receiver.

"L-Li...!"

"Li-san, wait!"

A devilish grin briefly made it's appearance as the boys clung onto the gender-bender.

(Kekekeke~!)

* * *

After pouring the dark-brown (almost black) batter into the baking pan, the three children slipped the pan into the preheated oven.

They closed the oven door and stepped back, beginning to watch as the oven flicker on and hum softly.

Three pairs of eyes stared at the nonmoving object.

"… Now what?" Shouichi started as his green eyes flickered over to the girl.

Li grinned and crossed her arms, leaning against the counter, "Now, we wait."

A moment of silence reigned over them.

The light brunette stared a bit longer, "For how long?"

Li paused in her staring and blinked, "One hour."

Everyone paused and thought.

One hour...

That was sixty minutes...

Or...

Just enough time to watch two cartoon episodes!

Suddenly, Shouichi stood up.

"I'm leaving." The redhead declared.

"!" Li jerked up from her position, "What do you mean you're _leaving_?"

Green eyes blinked honestly, "I don't want to waste time."

A pout graced her lips, "We're not wasting time."

Shouichi sweatdropped, "We're just waiting around doing nothing."

Dark-brown eyes shifted, "We're not wasting time…"

Her gaze shifted over to the light brunette, "What do you think, Tsuna-Fish?"

Said boy jumped at being addressed before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "W-Well…"

Tsuna couldn't continue on, seeing that the dark-brunette had decided to huddle in a corner of the kitchen.

A dark cloud hovered over her as she wallowed in shame, "I'm a waste of time…"

Both boys shook their heads vigorously, "Th-That wasn't what we meant!"

But, the reply went in one ear and out the other as Li sniffled.

"And all I wanted was for Kiyoshi to enjoy some _good_ cake today…"

"Li…" Tsuna whispered as he watched the girl's back.

Even though the dark brunette has a violent way of showing her affection, she still cares deeply for her sibling.

Heaviness weighed in his heart as the light brunette bit the bottom of his lips.

Shouichi sighed as his shoulders dropped, "Li, I didn't mean that…"

The gender-bender stayed silent.

Tsuna looked on with brows furrowed in worry.

The redhead mussed his hair and started again, "I know that you want to make Kiyoshi happy. And I'm all for it! I mean it!"

Li tensed and huddled closer to the wall.

Green eyes dulled a bit at the distance, "It's just... I wanted for us to have some fun instead of just doing nothing but waiting."

The dark brunette remained immovable.

Shouichi sighed as light-brown eyes flickered to and fro between his best friends.

Tsuna's heart thumped loudly in his ears, something seemed off.

The light brunette shuffled silently towards the girl as Shouichi gave him a confused look, tinged with sadness.

The smaller boy tiptoed closer and peeked at the shadowed expression of Li before...

A large sweatdrop appeared.

Slowly, the guilty expression on Shouichi's face completely faded into one of confusion.

Tsuna sighed silently as the feeling subsided and smiled exasperatedly at the teary girl.

Li sniffled and rubbed her eyes, "That was… so…"

She paused before glomping onto the light brunette with tears clinging to the edge of her eyes.

"TOUCHING~!"

THUMP!

The redhead fell over as the sweatdrop doubled in size.

"I was only teasing you, Shou, but you-" She clutched her hand over her heart, "-you were so into it and you gave the BEST speech EVER!"

An enthusiastic fist pump appeared at the end as Li grinned with sparkles in the background.

"LET'S _PAR-TAY_!"

Shouichi ruffled his hair in irritation and moaned, "Li-san! I know you're dramatic, but did you have to do that?"

The dark brunette merely laughed cheerfully as Tsuna gave a helpless smile.

The redhead fell over again.

Honestly...

* * *

"Li-san…" Shouichi started with exasperated green eyes, "What are you doing?"

The dark brunette grinned impishly, "What's it look like?"

"… You're putting icing on cushions…" The redhead stated blandly.

"Exactly!" Li chirped as she continued to smear the dark brown frosting onto the green pads.

A vein popped up on the redhead's temple as Tsuna sweatdropped at the exchange.

The light brunette looked down at the frosted cushion in his hands before piping up, "Li?"

The other brunette hummed to indicate her attention.

"I think Shouichi-kun means: Why are you icing the cushion?"

Li paused and blinked, "You don't know?"

Two head shook negative.

The dark brunette sighed and shook her head before proclaiming exaggeratedly, "I'm taking things to the next level of fun!"

Flat expressions were shot at the gender-bender who merely grinned widely.

* * *

"I-I don't think that we should do this…" Tsuna whimpered as he clung onto the nimble girl.

Li waved off the worry, "Relax, Tsuna-Fish! Besides, it'll be fine!"

Green eyes flickered to the gender-bender in a bland expression, "How will this be fine?"

"You'll see~!" The dark brunette cackled as she gingerly held the frosted cushion.

* * *

Two boys, one younger and one older, who looked _very_ similar (and _vaguely_ familiar) were walking down the street.

"Daigorou-niii!" The younger started, "Guess what?"

Oh.

So _that'_s why they're familiar.

They're the brothers whom Li had threatened and beaten (respectively) back when she went to Acorn Daycare...

Anyway!

The older looked over at his brother, "What is it?"

A haughty smile crossed over the younger one's face, "We were learning numbers today and Dame-Tsu - OW!

The other jumped in surprise, "What's wrong?"

The smaller one rubbed his neck, where a red mark was developing, before looking at the floor, "It's just a twig."

The older one relaxed, "Oh. It probably fell from the tree or something."

The other nodded in agreement before thinking, "Anyway…"

Then, he remembered, "Oh yeah! He said that "nine" was "nueve" instead!"

The older one snorted, "What an idiot. It must be 'cause he hung around that stupid girly-guy."

"I know!" The younger snickered, "And I bet that that guy got kicked out of the daycare!"

"Obviously!" The other replied boisterously, "He was rude and stupid and it rubbed off on that Megane-Sho-!"

WHAM!

A dark blur slammed into the speaker's face, effectively shutting him up and knocking him down.

"D-Daigorou-nii?" The younger one squeaked, "Are you ok-!"

SLAM!

Another blur cut the boy off and forced him over.

Daigorou ripped the offending object off of his baffled face, "A pillow? What the-?"

SMOOSH!

Another projectile attached to his face as the younger one licked his lips, "Chocolate?"

CRASH!

A new pad clung to the younger Ooyama before falling off as the boy cried and rubbed at his eyes.

Too bad that all that did was rubbed the sweet in.

Daigorou snarled and jumped to his feet, "Who's there-?"

BAM!

THUNK!

BOOM!

_POOF!_

A barrage of chocolate-covered cushions rained from above and buried the two boys under a large pile.

Muffled screams could be heard from somewhere below and nearly mute whispers from above.

THUMP!

One last pillow was thrown on top, making a soft whimper come from below, and bounced off.

A low cackle rang through the now-silent air before-

BONK!

-a plastic bowl fell on top and stuck to the soft pads.

The leftover chocolate was smeared across the bottom.

"BA~KA!"

It said.

* * *

"Kekekeke~!"

A certain dark brunette cackled gleefully as he dusted off imaginary dirt.

The light brunette stared at his best friend in shock, "L-Li, you…"

The gender-bender gave no indication of hearing and continued to cackle as the redhead facepalmed and sighed.

"How did I know that Li-san was going to do something like this…?"

A fanged smile was worn proudly on the dark brunette's face as he pranced away.

The other two looked at each other before following and sighing simultaneously.

"Li/-san…"

A faint cackle was heard from the distancing boy, however...

He never noticed the grateful smiles shot at his back.

* * *

Opening the door to his house, Li instantly noticed the faint trail of blackness and the harsh odor.

With a pale face, the dark brunette dashed towards the kitchen.

The two boys jumped in surprise at the speed before they too were alarmed and followed suit.

Entering the kitchen, they locked eyes with a dejected gender-bender as he sulked.

The oven's door was left open, airing out the smoke and smell.

Li held the smoking blackness in his hands gently.

The spiky dark-brown head dropped as a dark cloud hovered over its owner.

Tsuna hesitated and glanced at Shouichi who bit his lower lip but stepped forward, "Li-san… It's not your fault."

Instead of lightening, the aura darkened even more as violet will-o'-wisps made themselves visible.

The redhead sweatdropped as the light brunette looked over the cake.

Despite it's original appearance out of the oven, the cake wasn't completely burnt.

It merely appeared that way since the brown batter was nearly black in and of itself.

The truly charred parts were on the edges and surfaces.

Light-brown eyes swept the room as the redhead patted the gender-bender sympathetically on the back.

"Don't worry, Li-san. We can fix it."

They landed on the many sharp utensils tucked away in a wooden holder.

"Besides, if we have you, then everything will be fine, right?"

Li blinked and looked into firm green eyes before widening his eyes, "Really?"

Shouichi smiled and nodded, "Un!"

The dark brunette gave a small grin of gratitude before his attention was shifted by a tug on his apron.

Tsuna smiled shyly before pointing at the object on the corner of the counter, "Are we allowed to use that?"

Dark-brown and green eyes turned towards the direction.

The latter widened as the former narrowed.

A smirk adorned on one's lips, revealing sharp canines.

"Perfect~!"

* * *

"Done!" Li chirped happily as he gazed at the top of the chocolate cake.

Crushed peppermint candy were used as garnish and lettering.

"See? Everything turned out alright!" The redhead quipped as he pushed up his glasses with the back of his hand.

"Un!" The dark brunette grinned and nodded as Tsuna piped up.

"Plus, we've got leftover frosting and candy!"

They glanced over at the two bowls before a thoughtful look came across Li's face.

The gender-bender hummed softly before the metaphorical lightbulb flickered on.

He jumped off of the stool and made his way to the fridge.

The other two glanced at each other in confusion before turning back.

Light-brown and green eyes lit up at the sight.

* * *

An elegant black brow twitched as narrowed dark-brown eyes stared at the scene in irritation.

Although the smoke had already dissipated, there was a faint lingering odor.

In addition to that, the counter was a mess with pieces of charred things scattered across it.

Meanwhile, some of the red and white crushed candy spilled over and onto the floor.

All the while, the three children stared innocently up at the woman with chocolate frosting on their face.

Or rather, one dark brunette stared up (not) innocently while the light brunette and redhead cowered behind him.

"Sasaki Li." The woman started as a vein popped up, "What in the seven hells have you done to my kitchen?"

Li blinked widely before questioning, "But, Mama, Papa is the one who uses the kitchen."

BONK!

POOF!

"Waaa~! Mama wa hidoi yo~!"

A large bump formed on the gender-bender's head as she clung onto the redhead with tears pouring down her face.

Shouichi flushed red before paling at the fact that he was in front of Fang.

The woman held up her shaking fist as two more veins joined the first.

"Toge no gaki, you know that I used to cook when your brother was first born!"

Li instantly perked up and stuck out her tongue, "And you poisoned him!"

An indignant expression came over the woman.

"Did not!" Fang protested rather childishly, "He's still alive, isn't he?"

"…" The girl released her grip on Shouichi and placed her fists on her hips, giving the woman a flat look, "He can't taste anything."

The woman's eyes moved shiftily, "… His taste buds are a small price to pay for life."

THUMP! THUMP!

The boys fainted with foaming mouths as Li facepalmed.

"Oy vey…"

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Come to think of it, how _did_ Kiyoshi survive your cooking from birth?" The dark brunette mused aloud.

Fang dumped the boys on the couch and dusted off her hands, "It might be because of my body."

A confused look adorned the girl's face, "What do you mean, Mama?"

The woman paused for a moment and gazed at the sight of her older child in the dining room, gushing over the fact that Li made him a cake.

"… I am pretty resilient to poison so it probably got passed down."

They stayed silent for a moment.

"You did it little by little and on purpose, didn't you?"

"Saa~ Who knows?"

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"By the way…" Fang started as she cleaned up the spills, "Did you three finish up the ice-cream?"

"Yup!" Li chirped happily as she accurately tossed the burnt scraps behind her and into the trash bin.

"Really?" The woman continued in an obviously sarcastic tone, "All twelve cartons?"

The girl paused for a brief second, "… No?"

A vein throbbed in irritation, "Sasaki Li…"

An eep escaped her lips as the dark brunette dashed for it.

"GET BACK HERE! I'LL TEACH YOU TO INHALE _MY_ SWEETS!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I thank those who answered my question!

*bows happily*

For those who haven't yet, my question is this:

**Which pairing(s) are you hoping to see?**

Please note that I am pretty open-minded, so whatever your opinions may be (be it crack, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc.), I swear on my pride as a writer that I won't make fun of you! I may ask why (and you can give me the answer: "Just, because!") but I won't be critical. If it appears that way, I apologize in advance 'cause I must not have been in my right mind (not that I really have a right mind...) or I was distracted/irritated by something.

Moving along!

This is centered around the three's activities on Kiyoshi's birthday. BUT! Kiyoshi doesn't really appear until the next chapter.

**Concerning the Ooyama siblings, believe it or not, but they DON'T belong to me!**

*cue the gasping of audience*

**They belong to none other than Amano Akira!**

*cue fainting of some readers*

**I'll give a virtual cookie and plushes of KHR characters to anyone who can figure out who these **_**extremely**_** minor characters are~!**

**LASTLY: CHECK OUT MY PROFILE EVERY NOW AND THEN FOR A NEW PICTURE! I JUST UPLOADED "TEEN YEARS: TSUNA AND LI" ONTO DEVIANTART! I'M HOPING TO UPLOAD ANOTHER BY TONIGHT!**

* * *

**Loose Translations:**

(1) Mama wa hidoi yo~! - Mama's being mean~!

(2) BA~KA! - I~DIOT!

(3) Iyada. - Never.

(4) Nueve - Nine

(5) Toge no Gaki - Spiky Brat

**

* * *

Preview:**

"Where do you think you're going...?" A black-haired gender-bender growled.

"Where else?" An older man smiled.

Several strands of dark-brown hair drifted down.

"Kiyoshi..." Came the tight smile, "What have I said about using that?"


	23. Omake: To Say Sorry

Date: Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: To Say Sorry._

Grey eyes looked over the gorgeous cake in front of him.

The frosting was artistically messy with some parts sticking outwards.

Dollops of chocolate in various sizes were scattered on the bottom of the plate.

Crushed red and white mints spelled out "Happy Birthday, Sasaki Kiyoshi!" on top and garnished the side.

Kiyoshi placed his hands together in a prayer as the background turned bright with metaphorical love bubbles and happy flowers.

This entire cake was baked by his ever-adorable sibling, Xiao Li, just this morning on the 21st of June.

And it was all for him!

His lips curved up like a cat's as he wiggled around in his seat with his hands on his cheeks.

"Squee~!" The older sibling squealed with a blush, "I can't believe she actually baked this for me~!"

Meanwhile, an older male with spiky dark-brown hair entered the dining room with an oblivious smile.

He blinked at the sight of his son gushing over the cake before his lips quirked up as his eyes closed.

"Saa…" Daisuke started as he walked over to the table, "Is this the cake that Kyuu-chan made?"

Kiyoshi nodded exuberantly as he leaned on his elbows and rested his chin on his palms.

"It's to apologize for locking you in her closet, isn't it?"

A silly grin made its way to the younger one's lips as he nodded again.

"And, it's also for your birthday, right?"

If possible, he probably would've melted into a joyous goo of happiness right there and then.

The younger male continued to gaze upon the cake with sparkly eyes.

Suddenly…

It disappeared!

Grey eyes blinked before their owner panicked.

"WHERE'S MY CAKE?"

Off to the side, Daisuke carried the cake in his hand and began to sneak off.

Unfortunately for him, Kiyoshi had perfect vision and immediately spotted him.

A low growl escaped his throat as the younger one jumped out of his seat.

"Otou-san…" He started as the atmosphere around him darkened and crackled dangerously, "Where do you think you're going with _my_ cake?"

The older man merely smiled, "Where else?"

Kiyoshi's shadowed face glowed with glaring red eyes as the other sang.

"I'm going to share this with my love~!"

POOF!

SWISH!

Several strands of dark-brown hair drifted slowly to the floor as older grey eyes stared at the blunt wooden blade.

They closed as Daisuke's smile twitched a bit, "Kiyoshi…"

Said girl merely glared at the sound of her name.

"What have I told you about using your Kwan Dao in the house?"

Kiyoshi growled lowly, "I'll put it away once I get _my_ cake back."

Daisuke pouted a bit, "I know that it's your birthday, but you still need to share-!"

WHOOSH!

The man was cut off when a dark blur went at him.

Grey eyes blinked before looking at their owner's hands.

The deep dark chocolate peppermint cake was no longer there.

They drifted over to the doorway, catching a glimpse of spiky black hair.

Daisuke sweatdropped before smiling and chuckling softly.

"Yare, yare. It seems that Kiyoshi's stolen it back."

He shook his head.

"That one's always been protective."

He paused and thought for a moment.

"Or, was it possessive?"

* * *

(Extended Ending)

In the living room, the Sasaki family, along with Tsuna and Shouichi, sat around the low table in front of the open television.

A pout settled on the older sibling's lips as several bumps were visible on her head.

All but the younger ravenette were absorbed in the cartoon show, which revealed a yellow mouse with electricity crackling around its body.

A dark aura hung over Kiyoshi as she sniffled at being ignored on her birthday.

Briefly, dark-brown eyes flickered to the sniffling girl before turning back to the screen.

Violet and green will-o'-wisps appeared and floated mockingly around Kiyoshi.

Although her eyes were still trained on the show, Li sweatdropped upon feeling the chill.

Finally, she sighed and gave her sibling a flat, and accusing, expression.

"You were going to eat it all by yourself."

POOF!

Kiyoshi's lower lip pouted out even more as he shook his head vigorously, "Nuh uh! I was gonna share with Xiao Li!"

A caret-frown made its way to the younger's lips as she crossed her arms, "The cake's for everyone, not just us."

"Well," The ravenette sulked, "It should only be for us…"

A small fist knocked the side of his head, making tears flow down Kiyoshi's face.

Li sighed through her nostrils silently before lightly patting the spiky black hair.

Grey eyes widened before softening and closing at the comforting gesture.

A small smile graced the male's lips as Li gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Xiao Li…"

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"WO AI NI~!"

The male glomped his sibling, attempting to place a wet kiss on her cheek, but…

WHEE!

THUD!

He was flipped over the couch as a vein throbbed on the younger dark brunette's temple.

"Kiyoshi no ecchi!"

Tsuna sweatdropped as Shouichi shook his head at the obvious reactions while the adults cuddled and ignored the whole scene.

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

Yay~! *throws free plushes into the air* I've uploaded the omake~!

Now, all I'm debating about is which picture to upload!

So, if my audience would be kind enough to, please review or PM me as to which of the following choices of pictures you want for me to upload onto my DeviantArt account: CHOOSE ONLY **ONE**!

(Please note that all of them has Li in them and that they all take place during the Teen Years.)

(1) Yamamoto Takeshi

(2) Gokudera Hayato

(3) Sasagawa Ryohei

(4) Hibari Kyouya

(5) Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta

(6) Bianchi, Haru, Kyoko, Chrome

The "poll" will end... *thinks* ... on Friday, September 10, 2010 at about noon, Eastern Daylight Time.

After that, I'll upload a picture once every few days, or once a week, in the order of popularity.

I have a lot more pictures too! But, I haven't scanned them yet. *sweatdrop* When I do, I'll put up another poll.

ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING/ETC~!

* * *

**Loose Translations:**

(1) Otou-san... - Father...

(2) Yare, yare. - Oh, boy.

(3) Xiao Li... WO AI NI~! - Little Li... I LOVE YOU~!

(4) Kiyoshi no ecchi! - Kiyoshi, you pervert!

**

* * *

Preview:**

"So... hot..." Rasped a dark brunette.

"There's no need to worry." A carefree man chuckled.

"WAAAH~!" A grey-eyed girl cried, "I'm such an AWFUL sister!"


	24. Event 21: You Have A Tattoo!

Date: Friday, September 10, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 21: You Have A Tattoo?_

It was a sweltering June afternoon as a dark brunette sprawled face-down on the front porch of his house.

The shade did little to help as the bright sunlight crept up to the boy and shined on his bare, sweaty back.

"So… hot…" The boy rasped as he lifted his head to squint and stare at nothing in particular.

"Did we… always have… _two_ gates…?"

In his vision, the black gate continued to stay shut, but had miraculously split in two…

"No… Wait… It's _three_…?"

… going on to three gates.

Dark-brown orbs began to swirl before the boy groaned once more and dropped his head onto the wooden ground with a thunk.

Now, one might wonder just _why_ was this young boy outside at the risk of a heatstroke.

Well, to find out, it's time to look back a few hours earlier...

* * *

"Kekekeke~!" The dark brunette cackled as he watched a pig panic and transform to run away, only to get caught and beaten by the hero, on the television screen in front of him.

On his lap was a large bowl filled with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice-cream scoops, drenched in chocolate syrup and topped with multicolor sprinkles.

Digging his spoon into the sugary treat, the boy shoved the cold sweet into his mouth as cold wind continued to blast him from above.

He shifted on the Meowth-styled bean bag before snickering when the cartoon pig revealed his dream of having a nice, shy girl... only to have it thwarted by kidnapping a lot of heartbreakers.

"Xiao Li~!," Another boy, who looked remarkably like the relaxing one but was older, sang as he skipped into the room and hugged Li from behind, "Guess what~?"

Li ignored the speaker as his eyes were trained on the colorful screen.

The older one pouted before musing quietly with a forefinger on his lips.

A metaphorical lightbulb flickered on before he slipped out of the room.

A faint poof was heard in the next room as faint wisps of white smoke was seen.

Finally, the credits to the cartoon show began just as Li shoved the last bits of the ice-cream treat into his mouth.

The dark brunette hummed happily as he licked the spoon clean before tensing when warm arms slyly wrapped around his torso.

His spiky dark-brown head was pressed firmly against a soft chest.

Li closed his eyes as his brow twitched for a few seconds, "Kiyoshi..."

A girlish giggle was heard before the dark brunette looked up and stared blankly at his sibling, "You pedophile. I'm only six."

THUMP!

Kiyoshi fell over at the jab before huddling in a corner and sniffling dramatically, "So mean… I only wanted to show you the adult's world."

"Who's an adult?" The dark brunette snorted as he got off of his bean bag and walked towards the kitchen, "You're only thirteen, doofus."

The anvil of shame dropped onto the ravenette's head as purple and green will-o'-wisps floated around her mockingly.

Walking into the kitchen, Li kicked a stool over to the sink and dropped his dirty utensils into it to wash.

"Kyuu-chan, were you being mean to Oto-chama again?" A tall man with similar hair asked before tasting the sweet concoction he was whisking.

The dark brunette began to dry off the bowl and spoon, "I wasn't being mean, Papa. I was being honest."

Li climbed onto the counter and placed the dining wear away before hopping off, "Besides, shouldn't you be worried about where Mama went? She's been gone for a few days…"

"There's no need to worry," Daisuke chuckled as he poured the white batter onto the simple graham cracker crust on the bottom of a ten-inch cake pan, "Mama-san knows how to take care of herself~!"

The child deadpanned.

"You can at least _appear_ worried…" Li sighed as he stared sideways at the carefree man who continued to smile obliviously, "Never mind…"

The dark brunette sighed again before perking up at the sight of Daisuke putting the cake into the oven.

He cackled lowly to himself before swiping the bowl with leftover batter and tip-toeing towards the doorway.

Bump!

Li fell back onto his bottom and blinked before looking upwards, "Err..."

Slowly, his face lost all color though he gave his best innocent-looking eyes.

"Welcome home, Mama…?"

* * *

Who knew that such a simple prank that wasn't even completed would've led to such a horrible punishment?

It wasn't as if he were going to pour it on someone.

Wait, scratch that.

He _was_ going to dump it on a certain overly affectionate thirteen-year-old...

Too bad that that plan went out the window.

Li groaned.

He was going to dehydrate at this rate...

In fact, he didn't even have the ability to cry waterfalls of tears anymore!

If possible, the day brunette would've melted into a blob and evaporated away.

He groaned again.

(This is practically child abuse, damn it!)

Death seems to be imminent when-

SPLASH!

The dark brunette startled upwards as a strong jet of cold water slammed into his face.

POOF!

Li coughed, partly from the white smoke and partly from the water, but relished in the drop in temperature.

She blew at the dripping wet bangs stuck to her face before running her fingers through them, slicking them backwards.

The dark brunette blinked owlishly before grinning at the sight of her two best friends.

"TSUNA! SHOU!"

Shouichi waved happily, making the open hose splash water on all of them, "Kiyoshi-san called us over!"

Li blinked before noticing that the said gender-bender was in a pink one-piece and relaxing in a kiddy pool.

"You don't mind, do you?" Tsuna asked with wide and worried eyes.

A sweatdrop tumbled down the side of Li's head but she shook her head at the question and smiled gratefully at her older sibling.

The ravenette pushed up her sunglasses and grinned back before giving a thumbs-up and laying back.

Turning back, Li glomped onto the two boys, "Let's turn this into a water PAR-TAY~!"

"Un!" They smiled and nodded in agreement before freezing, eyes glued to the left side of Li's chest.

The dark brunette stepped back and tilted her head in confusion, "What's up?"

"Y-You-!" Shouichi sputtered before pointing at the spot and squeaking out, "You have a _tattoo?_!"

Li blinked and looked down at the red heartagram on her chest, right over her heart, before sweatdropping, "It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark. Mama and Kiyoshi also have it."

The redhead deadpanned, "Seriously?"

The gender-bender nodded before tensing when she felt Tsuna poke at the design in curiosity.

His finger traced gingerly over the clean lines.

Li blushed faintly and coughed a bit, "Err… Tsuna?"

The light brunette blinked and gave the girl a confused look, "Huh?"

"Right now…" She started and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "I'm a gir-!"

"NOOOOO!"

WHAM!

Li was cut off as a blur slammed into her, effectively knocking her over.

Swirls replaced dark-brown eyes as Kiyoshi hugged the younger one tightly, "WAAAH~! I'm so SORRY, Xiao Li! I didn't realize that you POOFED into a girl! I'm such an AWFUL sister!"

Torrents of ashamed tears poured down the older gender-bender's face.

A moment of silence save for Kiyoshi's wailing passed before the information processed in the boys' mind.

Their entire being flushed red before-

THUMP! THUMP!

They promptly fell over in a faint.

Meanwhile…

"How could I have NOT? I mean, I've seen you transform _sooo_ many times before! I should've recognized it and-!"

Kiyoshi continued to blubber at a suffocating Li.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

SLAM!

Luckily, the dark brunette's back was to her sibling's chest so she had managed to kick Kiyoshi in the face, forcing her to let go.

POOF!

At the moment that the older one fell onto the ground, white smoke had exploded.

"You…"

Li ignored the obstruction of her vision and neared her sibling before slamming her foot into the other's face.

"IDIOT!"

The vapor dissipated to reveal the exaggeratedly crying face of Kiyoshi as Li's foot became well acquainted with his cheek.

"There was _absolutely_ NO need to barrel me over like that!"

She dug the bottom of her foot deeper as metaphorical flames of scorn appeared around her.

"And you made my best friends _faint_ to boot!"

Li removed her foot only to kick the swimsuit-wearing boy in the side and sending him flying into the kiddy pool.

"_Now_, what am I going to do if I don't have people to water fight with?"

Bubbles raised to the top as Kiyoshi surfaced, still crying.

"You didn't have to kick me…"

The dark brunette turned to him so quickly that one could've sworn that she got a whip-lash (but didn't).

"What… was… that…?"

The male eeped before cowering in the small pool, "N-Nothing…"

Li growled before turning to the bodies of her friends and sulking, "Tsuna… Shou… I'm _bored_. Wake up."

Kiyoshi turned away and pouted softly, "Plus, you should put a shirt on."

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

CONK!

"I'M ONLY SIX! WHAT'S THERE TO SEE?"

The boy fell facedown into the water as a coconut bounced away from him.

"Besides, shouldn't you be worried that you're a GUY in a GIRL'S BATHING SUIT?"

Li seethed for a second, still in her throwing pose, before relaxing with a satisfied smirk.

She dusted off her hands when a large bump quickly formed on her crying sibling's head.

"_Baka__ hentai_."

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

*sweatdrop*

Even though I know that most people don't pay attention to Author's Notes, I still put them up...

*sighs*

Oh well, only two people bothered with my poll and I don't want to wait any longer.

SO! As special thanks to those two, I'll put up both voted pictures sometime after I uploaded this chapter.

(Hopefully, my internet won't conk out on me...)

The first picture is _Kyoukugen!_ which features Sasaki Li and Sasagawa Ryohei. I personally apologize to kimkakashi. *bows* There isn't really interaction in the picture; it's just their posing as if training... *sniffles* I'll try my best to make a scene with actual interaction, but all (except for Tsuna) are pretty hard to draw... (Boo hoo...)

The second is _Tsuna's Fan Club_ which features Sasaki Li and Gokudera Hayato. *grins* I really liked this one 'cause drawing happy-Hayato is a LOT easier than attempting to draw typical-Hayato. *sigh and oozes into a puddle of lava* So much easier...

Once more, THANK YOU FOR READING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_ AND REVIEWING/ETC~!

* * *

**Loose Translations:**

(1) Oto-chama - (Not a real word. I just took the "oto" from "otoko," meaning man, and also from "otome," meaning lady, and added "-chama," which is a baby-ish version of the suffix "-chan" to create this nickname.)

(2) Baka hentai. - Perverted idiot.

**

* * *

Preview:**

"Why did we have to come _here_, of all places?" Whined Li as he sprawled across a boulder.

"Banzai~!" Cheered Shouichi as he jumped into the glittering river.

"I-I'll just stay over here..." Murmured Tsuna as he slowly inched away.


	25. Omake: Swim Like The Wind!

Date: Monday, September 13, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: Swim Like The Wind~!_

"So… hot…" A dark brunette rasped as he laid across a large boulder, "Why did we have to come _here_?"

"It's not _that_ bad, Li-san." The sensible redhead replied while sweatdropping at his friend.

"Is too," Li grumbled before sitting up, beginning to pull his shirt off, "It's almost as hot as that summer day in Nami-!"

"_LI_!" A light brunette squeaked and tugged the shirt back down, cheeks flushed red in remembrance.

"_Tsuna_~!" The gender-bender whined while waving his arms, "Why'd you do _that_ for? I'm a _guy_ right now!"

"S-Still!" Tsuna retorted as a dark red settled deep into his cheeks, "If you transform, then it'll be bad!"

Li whined deeply in his throat, but relented when he stared into wide, pleading light-brown eyes, "Fine…"

The bright sun continued to beat down on the three as the dark brunette huffed.

"Why did we have to go to Okinawa of all places? Why not Hokkaido?"

* * *

"BANZAI~!"

SPLASH!

Cold water crashed down on all swimmers in the beautiful water.

As the surface began to calm again, a familiar dark brunette surfaced with a wide grin, "This is AWESOME!"

Large sweatdrops appeared on Shouichi's and Tsuna's head as they deadpanned, "_Now_ it's awesome?"

Li showed no sign of hearing their sarcastic remark and continued to splash in the river.

They sighed before the redhead placed his glasses carefully away and took a deep breath before running forward.

"Banzai~!"

SPLASH!

And under the river's surface he went.

The light brunette blinked before gaping as the redhead surfaced and waved at him, "Tsunayoshi-kun! You should come in too!"

Tsuna paled and shook his head, taking a step back, "N-No, thank you."

Li ran his fingers through his floppy hair before giving a confused expression, "Why not?"

The light brunette didn't respond to the question and merely shook his head vigorously.

A frown graced both swimmer's lips before Shouichi questioned Tsuna as a spark appeared in dark-brown eyes.

The gender-bender looked over at the older sibling who was floating a while away with wide glittering eyes.

Almost immediately, Kiyoshi snapped towards the look and wriggled in joy with happy flowers floating around her.

Li deadpanned for a moment but returned to his (not) innocent expression with his fists below his chin.

Kiyoshi paused in his happy dance and made a sour face at the distracted redhead.

Dark-brown eyes turned glossy as thin brows furrowed.

The older girl froze at the look of disappointment and panicked for a moment.

The dark brunette made a motion to turn away with slumped shoulders.

Kiyoshi instantly thumped her chest and struck a victory pose.

The boy smiled brightly with closed eyes, tilting his head slightly.

One can almost see Kiyoshi swoon with hearts dancing around her.

Li turned away as his lips curved up in a devilish smile.

"_Kekekeke_~!"

But, he quickly put on a neutral expression and poked Shouichi, "I think Kiyoshi's calling you."

A confused look graced his face before he turned to look at the older sibling.

The girl waved at him enthusiastically, beckoning him to follow her.

Still confused, Shouichi left Li and Tsuna as he swam towards Kiyoshi.

Tsuna's wide eyes followed the distancing boy before he gulped as his guts churned.

The gender-bender stepped out of the river, shirt clinging to his form, and creeped ever closer.

Then…

He pounced.

"_HIIIII_!"

Tsuna squeaked and quickly jumped to the side - only to trip over a fallen branch and tumble into a pile of leaves as Li blinked from his crouch before panicking.

"Ts-Tsuna!"

* * *

"I'm sorry, Tsuna…"

Li frowned to himself as he picked the stray leaves and twigs from tangled light-brown hair.

"I shouldn't have tried to force you…"

Thin brows furrowed in guilt as dark-brown eyes gazed at the scratched up face of the light brunette.

Tsuna blinked at the other boy before blushing and shaking his head, "D-Don't worry about it, Li. I'm fine."

A dubious expression found its way onto the dark brunette's face.

"Really! I'm fine!"

As if to prove it, Tsuna stood up and brushed the rest of the debris from his sleeveless parka, "See?"

Li hesitated before nodding slowly in agreement, "Okay…"

The dark brunette paused before plopping onto the blanket besides the other, "But, why didn't you want to swim?"

Light-brown eyes widen before their owner turned away and mumbled something.

Li blinked and tilted his head to the side to glance at the other's face, "…?"

Feeling the curious gaze, Tsuna flinched a bit as heat settled on his cheeks once more before closing his eyes and speaking louder, "I don't know how to swim!"

A moment of silence passed between the two.

Tsuna peeked a glance around him before flushing darker when he noticed some strangers staring at him in pity.

He hid his face in his hands before squeaking when they were abruptly pulled away by another pair.

Tsuna looked up, still red, before gasping when he was pulled forward, "L-Li? What are you doing?"

The dark brunette merely smirked, "Teaching you how to swim."

The light brunette blinked.

"Oh…"

He paused in thought.

"Eh…?"

Finally, the words processed.

"_EHHH_?"

* * *

Despite his initial fear, the light brunette found that the lesson wouldn't be all that bad.

"Buubbuubububu!"

A multitude of bubbles surfaced as Tsuna blew at the water.

"That's it! Tsuna!" Li chirped happily as the boy finally mastered the art of blowing bubbles, "Now, we can go onto the next step!"

The light brunette lifted his head from the water and blinked, "What's the next step?"

The dark brunette gave an easy grin, "Floating."

Light-brown eyes looked confused before glancing at the bottom of the clear river, "How?"

Li held out his hands, "Grab onto me."

Tsuna did as he was told.

"Now, jump!"

A baffled look appeared on his face, "W-What?"

Li continued to grin, "I said, jump."

The shock turned to apprehension, "Okay…"

Tsuna jumped…

Only to land back on his feet.

Li blinked before frowning, "That's odd."

The light brunette returned the frown, "I did jump, you know."

The gender-bender nodded in agreement and thought for a moment.

Then, the metaphorical lightbulb appeared as he chirped cheerfully, "Sorry 'bout this~!"

An imaginary question mark appeared over Tsuna's head but he couldn't question his best friend as a force knocked him off his feet.

He crashed and went under.

Thrashing about in the river body, Tsuna's mind went into overdrive.

He was sinking.

Bubbles escaped his lips.

He could drown.

A coldness infiltrate his insides.

Was he going to die?

Suddenly, two hands pulled him up.

He sputtered and coughed.

"That's weird," He heard Li say, "That wasn't supposed to happen."

He opened his eyes and blinked furiously at the water before looking up at the obvious frown.

"You were suppose to float, not sink. At least, that's what happened to me when Mama threw me into the ocean."

The metaphorical pan of realization conked the light brunette on the head as he startled.

_Fang-san threw Li into the ocean!_

His head dropped as he deadpanned.

Somehow, he could definitely see that happening...

In Tsuna's mind's eye, a nonchalant Fang had picked up an oblivious Li by her collar before carelessly tossing her over her shoulder and into the endless ocean.

A sweatdrop made its way down the light brunette's face before he shuddered.

_And Li had just tried to use that same technique on _me_._

"Maybe I need to throw you…"

Tsuna squeaked before clinging onto the gender-bender and shaking his head vigorously, "N-No!"

Li blinked and looked down at the shaking boy.

His face blanked out before his eyes widened and a triumphant grin appeared.

"I got it!"

* * *

"Now, this is floating!" Came a happy cheer.

Tsuna squinted up at the bright sun that was beating down on his already red face before tilting his head farther back and blinking.

His sight was greeted by a grinning Li as warm arms tightened around his waist.

"So? Getting used to it yet?" The dark brunette questioned.

The light brunette looked forward at his feet before kicking experimentally.

Water splashed with each motion.

He looked back at his best friend and blinked.

"Maybe…?"

* * *

"And, that's basically it!" The dark brunette grinned as he stood on the bank of the river.

The light brunette blinked before looking up in surprise, "That's it? You're not teaching me anymore?"

Tsuna was sitting down next to the gender-bender and stretching his slightly sore body when the other stated the end.

A small frown made its way to his lips as Tsuna felt the churning feeling of disappointment.

It felt like time passed far too fast.

"Now, it's onto the test!"

The light brunette jumped at Li's declaration before gulping as feelings of apprehension stirred in his heart, "T-Test?"

The grin turned devious as dark-brown eyes sparkled, "Test."

* * *

"Swim, Tsuna-Fish! Swim!"

The younger boy kicked furiously with waterfalls pouring down his face.

Why did he have to do this?

A rope was looped around his waist and attached to the float that held a certain dark brunette.

"Faster!" Li cheered, "Swim like the wind~!"

Tsuna halted in his attempt to swim and deadpanned, "Wind doesn't swim…"

They paused.

Dot. Dot. Dot.

A pout graced Li's lips, "I knew that."

He then looked around before sweatdropping.

They barely moved a foot.

"Tsuna-Fish~!" The gender-bender whined with exaggerated arm movements, "Swim like your name implies~!"

The light brunette's head dropped as he sighed.

"Bubuububbu…"

Just how was he to swim with extra weight?

* * *

FWOMP!

Tsuna sprawled onto the blanket and sighed at the fluffiness.

His body was extremely sore from the vigorous training.

Meanwhile, Li bounded happily up to the light brunette.

"Tsuna~!" The gender-bender started as he plopped down besides the other.

Said boy turned his head to face the other.

A warm hand pressed against his forehead.

Light-brown eyes blinked before Li retracted his hand and grinned lightly.

"You pass."

Tsuna gave a baffled look, "Pass? But, I barely pulled you!"

Li laughed before ruffling his wet hair joyously.

"Silly Tsuna! I never said _how_ far. Only that you needed to pull me. And you did!"

The light brunette blinked before flushing red and burying his face into his arms, "_Now_ you tell me…"

Li gave a quirky grin as he continued to play with the light-brown locks.

Dark-brown eyes softened, "You did great, Tsuna."

The boy peeked a glance before turning away with a small, but proud, smile.

"Thank you, Li."

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

Shouichi didn't appear much in this one 'cause the next one is dedicated to him~! *grins*

*bazooka's confetti into the air* HOORAY FOR FLUFFINESS~! *hearts and bubbles*

AND THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Preview:**

"Ano... Kiyoshi-san?" A redhead started, feeling wary, "Li-san said that you were calling me...?"

An arm snaked around the boy as a voice purred, "How 'bout we play a little game?"

The "RUN AWAY, IT'S A TRAP!" feeling intensified, but Shouichi prodded on, curiously, "What kind of game?"

A devilish smile played on the gender-bender's lips, not unlike Li's.


	26. Omake: Never Play With The Silent One

Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: Never Play With The Silent One._

The bright sun shined down from the cloudless sky, making the large river shimmer beautifully.

A group of people were playing about, splashing, swimming, wading or just dipping their toes.

It is within this group that one's focus shifts to a smaller group.

To the edge, two brunettes were located, but they are not the focus.

The focus is on one confused redhead who was swimming outwards and towards the middle of the river.

Bobbing excitedly in the water was a girl with spiky black hair, waving enthusiastically at the boy.

Green eyes blinked as their owner approached the older child.

"Ano… Kiyoshi-san? Li-san said that you were calling me…?"

A wide grin appeared on Kiyoshi's lips as she snaked an arm around the boy and pulled him close.

"Say Shou-chan…"

Heat rushed to his cheeks as the redhead sputtered and attempted to pull away, but the ravenette held strong and paid no mind while continuing.

"How 'bout we play a little game?"

The boy calmed a bit though his mind clearly sensed a trap.

He glanced over to his friends before sweatdropping when seeing the dark brunette pounce at the other.

He turned back and asked warily, "What kind of game?"

Kiyoshi's paid no mind to the other's cautiousness though her lips twitched downwards for a brief second when her eyes flashed over to the sight of the close brunettes.

Grey eyes forced themselves back to the redhead, glinting with a steeliness.

Kiyoshi allowed a devilish smile to play on her lips, not unlike a certain brunette's.

"A Scavenger Hunt."

* * *

Green eyes flickered briefly to the more populated side as the redhead trudged to the opposite of the river.

They flickered to the area around their owner: there was no one near him.

His heart thumped in his chest as he thought back to Kiyoshi's words.

_The first treasure comes from the body of the giant, yet the giant is but a child of Mother._

Shouichi frowned a bit with furrowed brows as he exited the body of water.

Something that comes form the body of the giant is also a child of mother…?

He paused and thought, eyes not quite seeing the beautiful greenery.

Well, a giant is basically something big.

But, what was a child of mother?

He shook his head, his wet hair flicked as water droplets flew, before pondering the next task.

_The second treasure twists and turns; it's both dominating and submissive._

The first part seemed pretty straightforward, but the second part was strange.

How can something control another while being controlled?

Shouichi pursed his lips as he moved on.

_The third treasure can bring things together, or push them away. How it's used is up to you._

Small hands ruffled the messy red locks as Shouichi crouched down in frustration.

The hints made no sense!

There were too many contradictions!

How can something grown still be a child?

How can something strong still be weak?

How can something attractive still be repellent?

There's no logic in these riddles!

He groaned as the telltale signs of cramps began to surface.

Then again, riddles always have a twisted logic to them…

An exasperated sigh escaped the redhead's lips.

Why did he always get roped into doing something?

First, it was into becoming friends with the brunettes (not that he's complaining).

Then, it was into distracting Tsuna for a surprise party (though that was really of his own accord).

Next, it was into rescuing Li (which was actually a good deed).

After that, it was into celebrating his birthday (even though he was upset).

And now, it's this!

Nonetheless, Shouichi forced back his oncoming stomachache and continued to ponder.

_The first treasure comes from the body of the giant, yet the giant is but a child of Mother._

Kiyoshi seemed to have emphasized the word "Mother" - but why?

His eyes glared into the dirt ground before he mussed his hair again.

What mother of giants?

He shivered a bit as wind blew at his damp body.

A single leaf flew towards him and landed on his nose.

Green eyes blinked before crossing to look at it.

Shouichi blew at it and watched as it swirled and landed at the base of a tall tree...

He paused in thought.

Wait…

A tree can be considered a giant with its great height!

Also, if one were to refer to the Earth, then wouldn't one call it Mother Nature?

Mother Nature is like a god, ruling over all natural things from dirt to rocks to living organisms.

And one can refer to themselves as a child of their god so…

Trees are the giant children of Mother Nature!

An excited grin played across Shouichi's lips as he started towards the forest.

This Scavenger Hunt might not be such a bust after all!

* * *

Shouichi grunted as he dropped the large, yet light, wooden planks onto a pile near the river's edge.

He found these pieces hidden between two closely bunched trees.

The redhead plopped onto the pile to rest his tired body though his mind was still alert.

_The second treasure twists and turns; it's both dominating and submissive._

Green eyes searched the area as he thought.

Since they were in a wildlife park, it's highly doubtful that Kiyoshi could've hidden something conspicuous in such a short amount of time.

Therefore, the objects are probably things that can be hidden in plain sight, like the planks.

But, what did the hint mean?

The treasure twists and turns… Does that mean that the appearance is twisted?

Or, does it refer to its properties?

He frowned as the familiar feeling of uncertainty stirred inside.

Shouichi stood once more as he glanced into the forest.

Maybe he should try looking in there again?

* * *

Parting away some bushes, Shouichi blinked before sighing.

So far, he has yet to figure out the second hint.

He pulled back from the bushes and crossed his arms, brows furrowed in thought.

What naturally-found thing twists and turns?

It's highly doubtful that the treasure's an actual animal so a nonliving thing is most likely the target.

But the question is...

He stepped back.

What exactly is it?

His heel bumped into an obstacle.

"Whoa~!"

Thump!

"Itai!"

Shouichi rubbed his sore bottom before blinking at the sight in front of him.

It was of a fallen branch, part of it was shredded to reveal sharp splinters.

The redhead flinched at the sight and inched away, mumbling, "How dangerous…"

As he was about to turn away, his green eyes caught sight of small movements on the splinters.

Feeling thoroughly curious, Shouichi faced the dead wood again and peered closely.

Small creatures of various colors and shapes roamed freely and comfortably.

The rotting wood was home to hundreds, if not thousands, of such critters.

Suddenly, the last riddle came to mind.

_The third treasure can bring things together, or push them away._

Understanding filled his being as Shouichi continued to observe the scene.

The branch, being as wretched as it was, repelled him from getting too close.

Yet, to the many organisms living in it, the branch attracted them to its core.

It both snubbed and welcomed a variety of life.

His lips twitched upwards as Shouichi carefully rolled the branch aside.

Green eyes sparkled at the sight of two slim, but strong, oars.

"Two down, one to go."

* * *

Now, all the redhead was stuck on was the second riddle given to him.

To be both dominating yet submissive…

A thing that's naturally found in nature…

Shouichi briefly mussed his drying hair as he continued to think.

Something that's twisted, or something that twists…

One which can control and be controlled…

Green eyes drifted over to his pile of treasures.

A pile of wooden planks and two oars.

Just why did Kiyoshi hide these things?

Shouichi knew that planks have a multitude of purposes, like building something.

But, what about oars?

Well, he could hit someone with it.

A sweatdrop rolled down the side of his face as he deadpanned.

Maybe Li was having too much of a violent influence on him…?

Red locks flew with a shake of his head.

He was getting off track.

Now, what's the other use of oars…

Shouchi came to a start before facepalming.

"Of course! Oars are used to propel boats!"

He paused.

"But, I don't have a boat…"

A dark cloud hovered over him.

"Don't tell me that Kiyoshi-san expects me to make one…"

He seethed for a few seconds before sighing exaggeratedly, "Still that's the only clue I got…"

Gazing over the pile, Shouichi hummed to himself before the metaphorical lightbulb switched on.

"If I'm right, then all I need is…"

* * *

"Bing, bong~!" A cheerful voice called out as the ravenette made her appearance, "You were correct in your deductions and found everything~!"

Green eyes deadpanned at the gender-bender, "Kiyoshi-san…"

Kiyoshi grinned and sang, "_Yeees_~?"

"Please tell me that I don't have to make a boat."

Grey eyes blinked before the ravenette laughed.

The flat expression stayed on Shouichi's face.

Kiyoshi waved a hand and shook her head, "Don't worry. You're not making a boat."

The redhead breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're making a _raft_!"

THUD!

Shouichi fell over, but quickly composed himself.

"I'M DOING WHAT?"

Or, not.

* * *

"I can't believe that I'm doing this…"

The comment came from the redheaded uke as he tightened a knot with the rope.

"It's not that bad~!" Kiyoshi sang as she did the same.

The boy deadpanned once more, "I spent hours looking for so-called treasures and now I have to spend another hour or so building a raft."

The ravenette appeared to be oblivious to the redhead's growing annoyance, "You just proved to me how perceptive you can be."

Shouichi paused in his work as Kiyoshi placed a hand on the wooden planks.

"You proved that life is continuous; how one never grows up, yet one grows nonetheless."

She then brushed against the smooth handle of the oars that laid to her side.

"You understand that even the dead has an impact on the living; that the dead can harm as well as support."

The ravenette shifted over to the unused rope on her lap.

"You figured out that contradictions lie within, yet harmonize, everything; what appears to be one thing can be another and both will represent the whole."

A small smile graced her lips as she briefly looked over at the dark brunette on the opposite side of the river.

"And, lastly, you're working them together."

Grey eyes slid close in acceptance.

"After all, everything is interlinked."

Shouichi stayed silent as he regarded the older child before slowly nodding, "Yeah…"

To some extent, he comprehended the words.

Yet, to another, he also didn't understand them.

Why was Kiyoshi telling him this?

Did any of it have something to do with Li?

And, how come _he_ was the only one doing the Scavenger Hunt?

An irritated feeling bubbled within the boy as he opened his mouth to comment.

"Done!"

Green eyes blinked before their owner gaped at the handiwork.

It was a pretty well-built raft, sturdy and well-fitted to seat four people.

Granted, the materials were pretty good but they were still kids so it would be difficult.

Although...

Shouichi glanced over at Kiyoshi.

The ravenette _did _appear to be much more mature at that moment.

"BANZAI~!"

SPLASH!

The redhead was drenched once more when a wave crashed down on him.

He twitched a bit.

Kiyoshi grinned and gave a thumbs-up as her teeth shined.

"It _does_ float!"

Of course, the key word being that she _appeared_ to be much more mature.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Say, Shou-chan…" Kiyoshi started as she easily balanced herself on the raft.

The redhead got on the floating piece of wood and blinked, "Yes?"

A smile was plastered onto the ravenette's lips.

"After I had said all those really cool things."

Green eyes blinked again as their owner stood straight.

"And after I cheered 'BANZAI~!' and dropped the raft onto the water."

An uneasy feeling filled the boy as the smile seemed to have tightened.

"You thought that I was an idiot, didn't you?"

Shouichi paled and stuttered, "Th-That is-! I can explain-!"

A vein throbbed though she continued to smile.

"Then, explain to my stick."

A poke to the side and-

SPLASH!

-the redhead went under.

"By the way," Kiyoshi continued as if nothing happened, "There's another use for the oar besides hitting and rowing."

Bubbles popped to the surface before the redhead reappeared with a sputter.

The long stick came swiftly down and pushed the poor boy under once more.

"And that's measuring how far you can push someone (your victim) underwater."

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

:3 I personally love this chapter.

It showed off Shouichi's SMARTNESS~! xD

And it revealed Kiyoshi's (sadistic) personality when he's not around Li!

KEKEKEKE~! *fanged grin*

Can anyone see a similarity among the gender-benders?

ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Itai! - Ow!

(2) BANZAI~! - HOORAY~!

**

* * *

Preview:**

His heart thumped erratically in his chest.

There was no one around him.

No comforting voice, no soothing warmth.

Just the unknown within each shadow...


	27. Event 22: Where Are You?

Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 22: Where Are You?_

The golden sun shined onto the dense forest that rustled with hidden life.

Worried dark-brown eyes flickered around their owner's surroundings.

"Tsuna…?" The dark brunette whispered in confusion before her voice grew louder, "Tsuna?"

Her heart thumped erratically in her chest as her voice took on a desperate tinge, "TSUNA!"

Poof!

Wisps of smoke floated through the forest, but there was no reply.

The boy swallowed thickly as he found himself alone in the densely wooded area before taking a deep breath.

"TSUNA! OMAE WA DOKO KA?"

Above, birds departed to the sky while, below, unknown critters scattered away.

But, even then...

Only silence greeted him.

* * *

Passed the thick shrubbery, some distance away, a small boy with light-brown hair shivered and huddled under a tree.

In his trembling hands was a familiar silver chain.

Two silver plates dangled from the chain, slightly dirtied.

A shaking finger traced the engraving of the boy's name before he held the object close to his chest.

He squeezed his eyes shut, whimpering softly.

"Li… Doko ni iru no…?"

The leaves above rustled as various birds flew overhead, making him snap his head up in surprise.

Light-brown eyes gazed forlornly at the free creatures before widening when thick bushes rustled.

Tsuna jumped when spotting a pair of golden eyes staring at him from the green surroundings.

His body froze as wide eyes locked with predatory ones.

He tried to swallow his fear but it stuck to the back of his throat.

Slowly, the bushes parted as a dusky paw stepped onto the soft dirt ground, not making a sound.

Tears clung to the edge of his eyes as another paw revealed itself.

Small arms went up in an attempt to shield their owner.

A soft crunch was heard.

* * *

Hands clutched at the tree branch below as their owner frowned.

Dark-brown eyes sharpened as they scanned below.

The forest appeared to be abandoned, but the dark brunette knew better than that.

_"Nature is never to be underestimated," _He recalled his mother saying once,_ "The moment you do that, you'll be facing death."_

Jaws clenched tightly as lips pulled back to partly reveal sharp canines.

There was absolutely no way that he was going to allow himself to be defeated.

After all, his dearest friend was lost and, possibly, in danger.

He took a deep breath before his voice rang strong and loud.

"_TSUNA_!"

* * *

The light brunette jumped at the call, his head snapping towards it's direction.

But, he wasn't the only one startled.

The thick shrubbery rustled as the unknown creature bounded away.

The sound caught Tsuna's attention as he turned back, but the animal was no longer there.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the boy placed a hand against his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart.

Somehow, he was safe.

Light-brown eyes blinked as his heartbeat began to slow to normal before shifting towards the direction of the call.

Lips pursed before he slowly got to his feet.

His legs shook visibly, but he forced them to steady.

Hesitantly, he trekked towards his goal.

Maybe he'll find help.

* * *

Li scowled as he jumped onto another tree branch.

Some time had passed, possibly half an hour, and he still had no luck at finding the other brunette.

He tensed, getting ready to continue on, when his eyes caught sight of something shiny.

Not spotting any immediate danger, Li leapt off of his perch and landed safely on the soft dirt ground with nary a sound.

He crouched to the ground and brushed away some dry leaves, making them crunch.

Color left his face as he stared at the object.

It was a silver chain with two plates.

Plates that clearly read "Sawada Tsunayoshi" on them.

Eyes darkened as a hand clutched onto the object tightly.

"Tsuna…"

* * *

Thump!

"Itai!"

The light brunette pushed himself up before wincing as some fallen bark dug into his knees and palms.

His surroundings rustled with continuous, ambiguous movements.

He bit the bottom of his lips to prevent himself from crying out loud.

Still, a whimper escaped as he tried to blink back tears.

Arms wrapped around his shivering body, he closed his eyes as tears splashed down.

"Kowai yo…"

* * *

The dark brunette crouched down to the forest ground.

Fingers brushed gingerly around the indentation on the dirt floor.

It was no wider than the dark brunette's own foot, and definitely no longer.

Dark-brown eyes narrowed as their owner stood up abruptly.

Li hurriedly headed in the same direction as the prints.

"Matte kure yo, Tsuna."

* * *

Tsuna panted softly, breath coming out in irregularly short intervals, before stumbled over to a fallen tree.

Leaning against it, he slid down to the soft ground and sighed.

His breath began to calm though his heart still ached.

Pulling his knees to his chest, the boy hid his face, pursing his lips to steady his emotions.

He had been wandering around for at least an hour.

He was hot, tired and, above all else, lonely.

Was anyone even looking for him?

Light-brown eyes darkened as small hands clutched at trembling arms.

Maybe no one knew that he was gone…

He shivered despite the humidity and huddled into a tight ball.

Nothing but the sound of leaves gently swaying and the soft chattering of animals were heard until...

FWOOSH!

Tsuna jumped as air seemed to have sliced pass him.

Wide eyes flickered around their owner before looking up.

They bored into large black ones.

* * *

"_HIIIII_!"

An icy chill ran up his spine as dark-brown eyes widened.

Li had froze at the horrified screech as a cold weight dropped into his guts.

"Sou na…" He whispered as he stepped forward, "Tsuna...?"

As much as he would like to deny it, he would recognize that voice anywhere.

Feet pounded into the ground as the dark brunette dashed forward, wind whipping at him.

Teeth gnashed at his lower lip, slicing through them, as a trail of red liquid began to trickle.

Stray branches scratched at him as his knuckles turned white from clutching the plates tightly.

His breath turned shallow, coming out in short puffs, but still he pressed forth.

Lungs burned from overexertion but, as he broke through one last barrier, his voice bellowed.

"_TSUNA_!"

* * *

A flurry of black with splashes of orange fluttered in a whirlwind, obscuring the area but clustering near the ground.

Dark-brown eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar light brown.

A low growl rumbled in the dark brunette's throat before he barreled into the flittering barrier.

Leathery wings slapped his already scratched up face, but Li ignored it as he forced his way through.

Dark eyes caught sight of the trembling figure in front of their owner.

Marked arms extended and wrapped around the shaking body, pulling the light brunette close.

Teeth gnashed together as eyes flashed dangerously before-

"DAKE NI SHITE KURE YO!"

The darkness scattered.

* * *

Everything seemed muffled to the light brunette.

The only thing that he was hypersensitive to was the warmth around him.

All he could feel was the comforting heat emitting from his protector.

His face was buried into soft and rumpled fabric.

There was the natural scent of the forest mixed with a faint, but distinct, other.

Dull light-brown eyes slowly blinked away the pain, the fear, the _loneliness_.

The roar had scattered away the fluttering obstruction that blocked him from safety.

The forest seemed silent as heavy breathing was heard from above him.

Light-brown locks swayed to the movement of the brunette's head as he shifted his gaze upwards to catch a glimpse of the various abrasions.

A cold hand raised and brushed against one before ghosting over the trail of blood.

Light began to return to his eyes as they widened and shimmered with unshed tears.

"Li…?"

* * *

The dark brunette stiffened at the hoarse voice before relaxing, closing his eyes.

Poof!

White smoke filled the area as she fell onto her bottom and pulled the light brunette onto her lap.

Her arms tightened in the embrace around the boy, bringing him closer.

A cheek rested against the mussed light-brown locks as Li rasped.

"Shinpai shinaide, Tsuna. Mou daijoubu dakara…"

Tears slid down the soft cherubic cheeks, soaking into the girl's shirt, before light-brown eyes closed.

"Un." The light brunette whimpered with a small nod.

Hands clung tightly onto the ripped shirt.

"Li… Hontou ni..."

His lips moved slowly.

"Arigatou…"

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

(TT ^ TT)

Yes, this was a very suspenseful and dramatic chapter.

My prompt for this chapter was Tsuna's number one fear of bats.

From my research, Fruit Bats are common in Okinawa (and Japan, in general).

With such a terrifying experience, I would expect such a fear to last, but now I'm rambling.

Oh well...

The next one is a follow-up to this event, explaining how they got into that predicament and what happened afterwards.

Also, I uploaded two new pictures, so check out my profile for the information on them!

THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) OMAE WA DOKO KA? - WHERE ARE YOU?

(2) Doko ni iru no...? - Where are you...?

(3) Kowai yo... - I'm scared...

(4) Matte kure yo, Tsuna. - Wait for me, Tsuna.

(5) Sou na... - No way...

(6) DAKE NI SHITE KURE YO! - LEAVE US ALONE!

(7) Shinpai shinai de, Tsuna. - Don't worry, Tsuna.

(8) Mou daijoubu dakara... - It's all okay now...

(9) Hontou ni... - Really...

(10) Arigatou... - Thank you...

**

* * *

Preview:**

They've managed to flee the darkness.

But, even then, the feelings won't leave.

Wasn't life supposed to be fun?

So, why did this happen...?

_How_ did this happen?


	28. Omake: Because You're My Partner

Date: Saturday, September 18, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: Because You're My Partner._

Why did it happen...?

Hands gripped each other tightly as two brunettes walked silently through the forest.

How did everything end up like this...?

Dazed light-brown eyes kept their gaze on the dirtied sneakers of their owner.

_"Come on!" A dark brunette encouraged while waving to the people behind her, "Let's go check out that cave!"_

_"Li-san," A redhead sighed exasperatedly as he pulled himself up a particularly high ledge, "_Wait_ for us!"_

_A light brunette poked his head up and sighed tiredly as others trailed behind him._

_Li gave a sheepish grin, "Sorry, Shou, Tsuna. I'm just excited. I've never visited a _cave_ before!"_

_Tsuna blinked before sweatdropping with a nervous smile, "But, neither have we."_

_The girl paused and thought for a moment._

_"... Oh."_

_An awkward moment passed by before she coughed and turned around, pointing into the distance._

_"Anyway~! Let's GO-ACK!"_

_Tears coursed down the gender-bender's face._

_The boys sighed at the sight of a black-haired woman holding Li by the back of her collar._

_"Mama~!" The girl whined with clenched eyes while waving her arms in annoyance, "Lemmego~!"_

_Fang raised an eyebrow and promptly released her grip._

_THUD!_

_"Itai!" The dark brunette flinched before sniffling and sulking, "Mama wa hidoi yo~!"_

_A vein throbbed on the woman's temple, "What was that, Kyuu-chan?"_

_"Pbbft~!" A lovely raspberry was her response._

_Arms wrapped around the twitching woman as a man chuckled, "Now, now. Calm down, everyone."_

_The woman huffed as the girl stuck out her tongue again, but both relented rather easily._

_A blur tackled Li as a happy voice cooed, "Don't worry, Xiao Li~!"_

_A smirk appeared on Fang's lips._

___"Kiyo-chan'll make everything better~!"_

_Li twitched before swiftly elbowing the boy, making him keel over, "Don't want it."_

_Waterfalls coursed down Kiyoshi's face as he huddled under a tree in shame, "(Boo hoo...) Xiao Li no me gusta…"_

_Everyone ignored the dramatic act as t__he sound of panting and rustling was heard from behind the group._

_Fang looked behind her before holding out a hand with a worried look, "How are you holding up, Nana?"_

_The less athletic woman took the hand gratefully and smiled, "I'll be fine. Thank you, Fang-chan. And, Daisuke-kun."_

_The man flashed a smile, having played the role of a gentleman and helped the brunette woman to a seat on a boulder._

_Tsuna gazed worriedly at his mother, "Kaa-san, maybe we should take a break?"_

_Besides him, Li and Shouichi nodded in agreement as Kiyoshi straightened up with furrowed brows, "He's right. You could run a heat stroke, Nana-san."_

_Nana smiled at everyone's concern with a faint blush, "It's okay, everyone. You can go on ahead. I'll just rest here for a bit."_

_The light brunette hesitated before squeaking when Fang pushed him towards the Li and Shouichi._

_"Don't worry, Tsunayoshi-kun," The woman said as she leaned against the same boulder, "_We_'ll just be lazing around here."_

_Still, the boy hesitated before his mother continued with a smile, "Go on, Tsu-kun."_

_The light brunette paused and looked over to his friends, who grinned encouragingly at him._

_"All of us will be here when you get back." Nana assured, smile never leaving._

_Tsuna opened his mouth before blinking when a blur passed him._

_Kiyoshi attempted to glomp Li, but was held back by Daisuke who gave his signature smile._

_"You _three_ have fun, okay?"_

_The light brunette sweatdropped at the crying boy before smiling and nodding, "Un!"_

Light-brown eyes came to focus as their owner bit the bottom of his lips.

His eyes moved upwards to their interlinking hands.

The warmth emanating from the other's hand brought a sense of tranquility to the younger boy.

But...

Small lacerations marred that comforting hand.

Not only that...

The eyes trailed upwards, along the marked arms and rested on the scratched-up face, particularly on the dried blood.

Light-brown eyes dulled again as his heart constricted painfully.

_"I think we're near!" Li cheered as she shielded her eyes from the bright sun._

_POOF!_

_"Ah!" Shouichi piped up, ignoring the white smoke, as he stopped besides the gender-bender, "I see it!"_

_Tsuna panted heavily as he stumbled a bit and bumped into the dark brunette, "S-Sorry!"_

_The gender-bender merely grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him close, "Do you see it, Tsuna?"_

_His cheeks flushed a bit but Tsuna tightened his grip on the other's before light-brown eyes widened._

_Being on a hill, the three had a panorama of the wildlife park._

_It was a vast forest with several visible clearings, but one held the unmistakable sight of the cavern._

_In the distance was the familiar glittering of the large river._

_A warm summer breeze played with soft locks as Tsuna whispered in awe._

_"Sugoi…!"_

_A light grin played on the dark brunette's lips before he tugged him and the redhead forward, "Come on!"_

_Excitement was evident._

_"It's time to explore!"_

They climbed the hills together.

They trekked through the forest together.

They went to the cave together.

They even held hands when they went inside of it!

He swallowed thickly as tears began to cloud over his eyes.

All he wanted to do...

_"Wow!" Shouichi was in awe as green eyes ran over the curtain-like walls, "Flowstones!"_

_Two pairs of brown eyes blinked as each owner echoed, "Flowstones?"_

_"Yeah!" The redhead nodded without looking away, "I read in some books that they're caused by the building of minerals in water and that they can show when droughts happened long, long ago!"_

_"Heh~?" Li hummed as he looked over the designs on the wall, "So they're kind of like history books?"_

_Shouichi sweatdropped at the simile, "That's one way of putting it…?"_

_The dark brunette hummed once more before crossing his arms behind his head, "Well, I guess it beats the school's teaching."_

_Cue the sweatdrops from Tsuna and the annoyed sigh from Shouichi._

_"Li-san…" The redhead deadpanned, "You need to lay off of the school."_

_Dark-brown eyes widened in mock-innocence._

_"Datte~!" Li pouted while exaggeratedly puffing out his lips, "Gakkou wa tsumannai desu~!"_

_Shouichi dropped his head and sighed as Tsuna blinked and asked innocently, "Is it really?"_

_The dark brunette perked up as his eyes sparkled and opened his mouth, "YE-mmrph!"_

_Li blinked before pouting and grumbling through the hand._

_Green eyes rolled upwards before the redhead shook his head._

_A thought occurred as dark-brown eyes lit up._

_Shouichi jumped and released his grip with wide eyes._

_Li grinned cheekily, "Whoops. My tongue slipped."_

_A vein throbbed on the redhead before he waved his wetted hand around, "How did your _tongue_ (of all parts) _slip_?"_

_Li merely flashed his canines in a wide grin, making the redhead sigh as Tsuna laughed softly._

_Finally putting aside the annoyance, Shouichi turned around and stretched his arms as if to embrace his surroundings, "Anyway, let's explore!"_

All he wanted to do was explore with his friends.

So, why was he the only one who got lost?

Was it his fault?

_Drip._

_The light brunette froze with wide eyes._

_Drip._

_Something cold and wet was plopping onto his cheek._

_Drip._

_Slowly, Tsuna looked upwards._

_Light-brown eyes widened as their owner paled._

_Up above, on the high ceiling of the cave, was a plethora of jagged dripstones._

_All pointed hazardously at him._

He shut his eyes tightly as tears began to build.

It was, wasn't it?

_"It's okay, Tsunayoshi-kun!" The redhead called out as he stepped around the._

_"They're just stalactites! They're stable!"_

_Tsuna merely shook in response before tensing._

_Crack._

_Light-brown eyes widened as his heart thumped loudly in his ears._

_Was that his imagination?_

_He began hyperventilating and took another step back._

_"Tsuna?"_

_He only vaguely heard the dark brunette's worried call._

_Crack!_

_Did it suddenly sound louder?_

_"Don't move!" Li shouted as he began to make his way past the stalagmites._

_He tried to stop, he really did, but his weight suddenly tilted backwards._

_CRACK!_

_'Eh…?'_

_First, he was weightless._

_(Two pairs of eyes lost their shine and widened fearfully.)_

_Then, he plummeted._

_"TSUNA/YOSHI-KUN!"_

The light brunette bit harder on the bottom of his lips.

He should've paid attention to his surroundings.

If he had…

He tightened his grip.

If he had, then he wouldn't have fallen.

Without realizing it, the light brunette stopped.

The other paused in her walking and glanced backwards.

The smaller hand trembled in the other's grip.

Dark-brown eyes lost their shine in remembrance.

_The stopping of his heart's beat._

_The freezing of his insides._

_The disappearance of confidence._

_The feeling of emptiness within._

_All he could do was watch when the brittle floor collapsed._

_All he could see was the reflection of his own horror._

_All he wanted to do was run towards him._

_All he wanted to see was him by his side._

_To reach him, he ran forward._

_To grab him, he held out a hand._

_To pull him out of the darkness…_

_He failed._

_His movement was stopped by the fearful redhead._

_His hand grabbed nothing, but air._

_His best friend had fallen._

He_ had _failed_._

_"TSUNA!"_

Thin brows furrowed as their owner looked away with glossy dark-brown eyes.

Even now, when Tsuna was right besides her, her heart still thumped painfully.

Li clenched her jaws together as she continued to remember.

_"No..." He had whispered, outreached hand touching nothing, "NO!"_

_Eye flashed as the dark brunette turned sharply to the wide-eyed redhead, "WHY DID YOU STOP ME?" _

_He had roared, baring his canines at the wrong person, "I COULD'VE REACHED HIM!"_

_"Th-That…" The redhead responded hoarsely, "You would've gotten hurt, Li-"_

_"WHAT DOES THAT MATTER?" He snapped, wrenching his arm away, "_TSUNA_'S IN DANGER SO WHY ARE YOU STOP-!"_

_"I KNOW!"_

_Li froze in mid-rant with wide eyes, staring at the shaking boy in front of him._

_Aside from the dripping of solution, only heavy breathing was heard._

_Red hair covered his eyes as Shouichi continued softly, "I know…"_

_Dark-brown eyes caught the slight shaking of the other's body._

_"I know that Tsunayoshi-kun might be hurt…"_

_His voice came out as a soft whisper._

_"I know that…"_

_He bit the bottom of his lips before teary green eyes met with wide brown ones._

_"I KNOW THAT BUT I CAN'T HAVE _YOU_ HURT TOO!"_

_Hands covering his pained eyes, Shouichi whimpered._

_"What would I do then…?"_

_The gender-bender stayed silent before opening his mouth to retort._

_"…"_

_But, found that he couldn't._

_He looked away from his hurt friend and clenched his eyes shut._

_(Poof!)_

_They barely registered the sudden transformation as Li's fists trembled by her side._

_She released a shaky breath before dark-brown eyes slowly opened._

_With silent resolution, Li stepped towards Shouichi._

_Her arms wrapped around the redhead, bringing him close as he tensed._

_Lips barely brushed against his ear as Li rasped lowly._

_"Go…"_

_Green eyes widened in shock, fear and, most of all, worry._

Dark-brown eyes looked skywards, 'Shou… Ora wa… honto ni… gomen ne…'

The gender-bender then turned to look over the light brunette.

Soft sobs were heard from Tsuna's trembling body.

_When he fell, he fell through a tunnel._

_The rushing of wind._

_The roughness of rocks._

_The blinding light at the end._

_They were all powerful, yet vague, in his mind._

_And then, his senses were assaulted by the vast forest._

His guts churned again and again as his mind flashed through the memories.

Never again did he want to feel that way!

The pain...

The fear...

The loneliness...

Never again…!

Warmth engulfed his being.

Light-brown eyes snapped open and widened.

His voice trembled, sight blurred by unshed tears.

"Li…"

Light-brown eyes slowly drooped before finally closing.

He raised his hands and grabbed onto the other's dirtied shirt.

"Li…"

His grip tightened as his voice became a bare whisper.

A tear strayed down his cheek as he leaned closer to the warmth.

"Please don't leave me…"

The arms tightened around the younger boy, bringing him close.

A nuzzle against the light-brown hair reassured him of the reality.

"I won't..." She started hoarsely as she shifted slowly.

The dark brunette moved until her forehead rested against the other's.

Warm breaths mingled as they moved closer.

The tip of their noses touched gently.

"I won't leave you."

Her eyes closed.

_Dakara to…_

Was the silent afterword.

_Omae wa ora no aibou desu._

* * *

(Extended Ending)

A hand shaded dark-brown eyes as they peered at the orange sky.

"Li-san! Tsunayoshi-kun!"

They shifted from above to across the horizon.

The hand waved tiredly as its owner smiled at the approaching redhead.

"Yo, Shou."

Shouichi stopped in front of the ruffled pair and panted a bit.

Green eyes looked over their dirtied appearance in worry.

The dark brunette softened at the pained expression before she ruffled the red hair.

"Daijoubu desu."

Shouichi hesitated at the answer as his gaze landed on the light brunette.

Tsuna was half-hidden from sight, still gripping tightly onto Li's shirt.

The redhead frowned to himself before looking sharply at the dark brunette.

The gender-bender stared back, unwavering, and brought a forefinger to her lips.

Shouichi bit the bottom of his lips before sighing and nodding in agreement.

_We won't tell them._

The agreement was unanimous.

"Xiao Li~!" Came a familiar cry as a blur attached to the girl.

"I missed you~!" Kiyoshi sniffled and nuzzled Li, "You should've stayed with me~!"

The recipient of the affection twitched but did nothing more.

The older boy paused at having not been hit and blinked.

Grey eyes widened at the scruffy apparel, "L-Li! What happened-?"

He paused as he noticed Tsuna's similar condition.

Kiyoshi narrowed his eyes and steeled at the one clinging onto the youngest Sasaki.

The light brunette flinched at the look.

An arm whipped out as dark-brown eyes challenged grey ones.

Li stood defensively in front of her best friend.

From the side, Shouichi glanced worriedly between the two Sasaki members.

Kiyoshi frowned and looked at his sibling for a moment.

His grey eyes were calculating.

Finally, they closed and he sighed, relenting to the other's will.

"Ara?" Came the startled cry from behind the children, "Tsu-kun! Li-kun! Daijoubu desu ka?"

The gentle woman ran up to the scratched up children, kneeling in front of them.

Her hands gently brushed against the shallow cuts as her eyes looked on in concern.

Li blinked before her expression changed from distant to sheepish in a split second, "Hai desu~!"

She scratched the side of her face with a lopsided grin, "I tripped over some loose rocks and accidentally dragged Tsuna-Fish down with me."

"So that's it…" Nana pressed a hand against her pattering heart and sighed in relief, "When Shouichi-kun said that you were held up, we were worried…"

Li met eyes with the redhead as they remembered.

_"Go…" The dark brunette had rasped in his ears, "Go and tell them: we'll be late."_

The dark brunette snapped out of it and flashed a goofy grin, lightly knocking her forehead with a fist.

"Don't worry! I just didn't see them. It was like they jumped out at me, or something!"

A taller woman stepped forward from behind the kneeling one and raised an eyebrow, "Becoming an airhead, are you?"

Dark-brown eyes clashed with each other for a moment.

One pair determined, the other sharp.

The Sasaki females stared each other down for a moment.

Then, the latter narrowed before shifting to a casual expression.

Fang rubbed her youngest child's hair before stepping away, musing, "We should get back. Papa-san is waiting for us."

"Oh!" Nana startled as she paused in her cleaning off the cuts, "That's right! We should get back since it's getting late."

"Hai~!" Li chimed, still holding onto Tsuna's hand.

The women, now relaxed at finding the two, began to trek back to the distant campfires as the others followed.

Kiyoshi continued to fuss over his sister, but a swift kick to the older one's leg forced him to cry from a distance away.

Shouichi stuck close to the tousled duo, glancing back every so often.

The dark brunette walked casually while the lighter one never strayed from her side.

Green eyes glanced away to see the distancing three in front.

None saw the grasping hands tightened.

For a brief moment, the differently toned brown eyes met.

The fear… the pain… the loneliness...

A silent message was shared between their owners.

_That'll be our secret, ne?_

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

:x

This chapter basically explained how Tsuna and Li got into their predicament and what happened after it.

It also ends the whole trip to Okinawa, so the next one will definitely be more light-hearted!

:3

But, that's all I'm saying since there's a preview at the bottom.

ALSO, THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Mama wa hidoi yo~! - Mama's so cruel~!

(2) Xiao Li no me gusta... - Xiao Li doesn't like me...

(3) Sugoi...! - Wow...!

(4) Datte~! - I can't~!

(5) Gakkou wa tsumannai desu~! - School really _is _boring~!

(6) Ora wa... honto ni... gomen ne... - I'm... really sorry...

(7) Dakara to... - Because...

(8) Omae wa ora no aibou desu. - You're my partner.

(9) Daijoubu desu. - We're okay.

(10) Daijoubu desu ka? - Are you okay?

(11) Hai desu~! - Yes~!

**

* * *

Preview:**

It's the seventh of July and that means that the Star Festival has arrived!

There's excitement in the air, but Tsuna's feeling particularly worried that his wish won't come true.

Just what is his wish?

And what about Li's and Shouichi's?

Find out in the up and coming _Event 23: Omae Wa Tanabata No Hoshi Da!_


	29. Event 23: Omae Wa Tanabata No Hoshi Da!

Date: Monday, September 20, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 23: Omae Wa Tanabata No Hoshi Da!_

Light-brown eyes gazed worriedly at the slightly messy scrawl that was their owner's handwriting.

They glanced upwards at the specially erected bamboo tree.

Small hands raised the white paper before hesitating.

Should he...? But, what if it didn't come true?

His hands lowered.

Maybe he shouldn't... That way he won't be disappointed later on.

He paused as a new thought drifted in.

Would he regret it?

He bit the bottom of his lips.

What if his bad luck interfered with his wish?

He looked at the dark print again.

Only the higher beings know why it even settled down for so long.

Unless…

Was it a certain dark brunette's doing…?

His musings were cut short as a warm body barreled into his.

"TSUNA-FISH~!"

His cheeks flushed red.

Speak of the devil.

Wide eyes met with dark-brown ones as a grin appeared on the latter owner's lips.

"I was looking for you!"

Tsuna gave a nervous smile, "S-Sorry, Li. I got lost…"

He trailed off and added in his mind, 'Lost in thought.'

Li blinked before resting her cheek against his and humming, "Heh~?"

A grin reappeared on her lips as she pushed him lightly in a direction before spinning to the front.

"Well! You're not lost anymore! You're with me!"

The boy sweatdropped but relaxed and smiled at the girl, "Hai!"

Tugging on one hand, the dark brunette guided Tsuna to the waiting redhead with a chirp, "Come on! Let's grab Shou and check out that contest!"

She never saw the white paper tucked back into his pockets.

* * *

"Kekekeke~!"

Li cackled lowly as she worked diligently at the colorful papers.

The redhead sweatdropped and sighed, "Li-san, why is it that you only work hard if there's a prize?"

The dark brunette paused in her work and looked at the boy with wide eyes, "Why, whatever do you mean, Shou?"

Green eyes deadpanned at the (not) innocent face, "Well… Remember the carnival and the darts game?"

The memory of Li throwing the projectiles at the annoyingly colorful balloons popped into mind.

The gender-bender thought for a moment before nodding happily with a kittenish smile.

"I gave the bunny and kitty plushies to you and Tsuna!"

A sweatdrop appeared on the redhead at the wording before he shook it off.

Shouichi sighed, but nodded in agreement, before another memory occurred, "Then, what about the name-plates?"

The memory of Li's frustration and wasting 5600 yen on the air rifle game played briefly.

Li pouted and crossed her arms, "At least we got it on the ninth time!"

Shouichi shook his head and sulked, "Not the point, Li-san…"

The redhead crossed his arms and placed a finger on his chin before snapping his fingers, "How 'bout school?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked, "School…?"

Li tilted her head innocently, "I work hard at school?"

Shouichi nearly fell over, but composed himself while waving his arms, "See! That's what I mean!"

He didn't notice the widening of her eyes nor the mischievous sparkle in them as he continued to rant.

"Since you're not interested, you don't bother with school!"

Li placed her fists below her chin and continued the mock-naivety, "I still go, don't I?"

Exasperation began to creep up on the redhead as he mussed his hair, "But, you only use the minimal effort to pass!"

The dark brunette widened her eyes even more and placed her palms on her cheeks, "I still pass, don't I?"

"_MOU_~!"

Two hands ruffled the red hair roughly before the redhead dropped his head and sighed, "I give up…"

Off to the side, Li gave a glittering smile and two thumbs-up to the sweatdropping light brunette.

"Mission: Tease Shou - Complete!"

* * *

"Shou~!"

The redhead had his eyes closed and his head turned away.

"_Shou_~!"

Came the whine again as the dark brunette tried to get her friend to look at her.

"I said, I'm _sorry_~!"

Still, the boy looked away, even adding a huff.

Tears pricked at the edge of dark-brown eyes before their owner turned to look pathetically at the light brunette.

"_Tsuna_~!" She whimpered with watery eyes, "Help me~!"

Tsuna sweatdropped before sighing and shaking his head, "Sorry, Li, but you already knew about Shouichi-kun's temper..."

He trailed off as his sweatdrop tripled when the girl's lower lip trembled dramatically.

The light brunette hesitated.

Dark-brown eyes widened and turned glassy.

Tsuna swallowed thickly as the familiar feeling of guilt began to churn in his guts.

Thin brows furrowed as Li sniffled softly, tears beginning to leak.

The boy bit the bottom of his lips to prevent a soft whimper from leaving.

He glanced briefly at the redhead.

Shouichi was waving vigorously at him from behind the girl before crossing his arms in an x-formation.

Li caught the shift in attention and turned around.

The redhead returned to his previous pose and remained immovable; this time, though, his arms were crossed.

She pouted and turned back before her jaw dropped at the sight of the light brunette's back.

The one-ton weight of guilt hit her and, boy, did it hit her hard.

POOF!

Random by-standers coughed at the sudden appearance of the white smoke, baffled.

The boys had jumped a bit at the sudden transformation, but quickly calmed.

Wisps lingered in the air, but the area was clear enough to reveal a dark cloud hovering over the gender-bender.

He was huddled near one of the many trees in the large urban park of Namimori.

Violet will-o'-wisps floated mockingly around him with a few indigo ones here and there.

Tsuna sweatdropped again and turned to the redhead.

The sweatdrop doubled when he saw that the boy was still ignoring the gender-bender.

'Shouichi-kun sure can hold a grudge…' The light brunette thought before tugging on the redhead's shirt.

Green eyes glanced at him.

He gave a smile, though it turned nervous upon looking again at Li's depressed aura.

"M-Maybe you should forgive Li…?"

The redhead blinked before shifting his gaze to the gender-bender.

He, too, sweatdropped at the sight before they doubled when the dark brunette began tending to mushrooms.

Shouichi sighed before running his fingers through his hair, "Fine."

Li's ears perked up as he turned to the pair with eyes sparkling in expectation.

Behind him, a metaphorical cat's tail raised and gently curled in attention.

Tsuna couldn't help but grin at the obvious reaction as Shouichi chuckled softly.

Green eyes softened at the gender-bender as their owner held out a hand.

"Let's go see if you won that decorating contest."

Li gave a quirky grin and grabbed it, singing.

"Hai~!"

* * *

"… And first place goes to Contestant Number 100!"

A round of applause came from the large audience as the person went up to get the Japanese Tea Set Prize.

To the back, a certain dark brunette huddled in the corner as a dark cloud hovered over him.

Shouichi sweatdropped as Tsuna crouched next to Li and patted his back.

"Don't worry, Li. You'll win next time!"

Predictably, instead of cheering up, the dark brunette sunk deeper in misery.

This time, the light brunette sweatdropped at the depressed boy.

Shouichi facepalmed before he too crouched down to comfort him.

"Come on, Li-san. You tried your best."

Li mechanically turned his head and deadpanned at the redhead, "Then, how come I didn't win?"

Shouichi opened his mouth to reply before closing it and sweating.

Should he tell Li that the design he chose wasn't quite so… cute?

The redhead scratched his cheek, "Well…"

Li caught the hesitation and dropped his head as the weight of shame descended upon him.

"A-Ah! B-But that doesn't mean that it wasn't _good_!"

The boys could practically see the metaphorical cat's ears drooping and the tail drawing circles on the floor.

Tsuna sweatdropped as Shouichi sighed with slumped shoulders.

The light brunette thought for a moment with a forefinger on his lips.

Li's streamer was well-made: precisely cut and balanced.

The only problem was that-

The image of glowing gold eyes and snarling teeth popped into mind, making Tsuna shiver.

-Li's choice of design was that of a ferocious dragon.

The youngest boy sighed.

If Li had chosen something more positive, then he might've won.

After all, the Star Festival was a _celebration_ of wishes and _not_ a spook-fest.

The light brunette bit the bottom of his lips as he fingered the paper in his pocket.

Thinking about wishes, Tsuna had yet to decide if he should go through with it.

What if it didn't come true?

He frowned as light-brown eyes dulled.

If it didn't, then he would never be able to…!

A light blur ran across his vision.

Light-brown eyes blinked.

Dark-brown ones looked on in worry.

A bright blush flourished on Tsuna's cheeks as he jumped up and stuttered out an apology.

Lips pulled down in a familiar caret-shaped frown before Li cupped the younger brunette's cheek and rested his forehead against the other's.

"You alright, Tsuna?"

Blush never fading, the boy clamped his mouth shut and nodded meekly.

Li blinked and gazed a little longer at his best friend in wonder.

Tsuna, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel jumpy as his grip tightened on the hidden paper.

He purposely avoided the dark-brown eyes and gave a nervous smile to the redhead.

Catching onto the other's discomfort, Shouichi piped up.

"I think that they're selling takoyaki and nikuman!"

Immediately, Li perked up and turned to the redhead as the background shined.

"And udon?"

Shouichi laughed softly at the excited sparkle in Li's eyes as Tsuna relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, they have udon, too." The redhead responded with a mirthful smile, "Don't they always?"

A vigorous nod from the gender-bender sparked another laugh from Shouichi as Tsuna smiled softly.

Retracting his hand from his pocket, the light brunette lightly tugged on Li's hand, "Let's go eat!"

"Un!" Shouichi nodded in agreement as he turned and pointed to one of the many stalls lined up in the park, "Look! There's one over there!"

Lips curled up in a joyful grin as Li threw up his arms, "BANZAI FOR UDON~!"

POOF!

"EH? AGAIN?"

The boys laughed as they tugged Li towards the stall while she whined about the second transformation.

In the midst of their laughter, dark-brown eyes flashed over the light brunette's back with an unreadable expression.

A small caret-like frown appeared for a split second.

* * *

"Gochisousama deshita~!"

Three voices called out, thanking the chef, as each owner walked away from the stand.

"Ah~!" Li sighed exaggeratedly, yet happily, as she patted her stomach, "That was some good grub!"

Shouichi sweatdropped and deadpanned, "I would assume so since you ate three bowls."

The dark brunette clicked her tongue and waggled her forefinger, "Now, now, Shou. You shouldn't assume."

Green eyes rolled upwards as the redhead responded, "I know, I know. Otherwise, I'll make an ass out of you and me, right?"

Two thumbs-up and a sparkly smile was flashed, "Bing, bong~!"

Shouichi shook his head as Tsuna laughed softly.

A thoughtful look crossed onto the gender-bender's face as she mused aloud while looking over at the slowly descending sun.

"We should probably head over to the tanabata tree now."

The light brunette froze.

Shouichi hummed softly before nodding in agreement, "Yeah, it's almost nighttime."

Tsuna robotically turned around.

"Meh, we're good since we still have an hour or so."

One slow step forward and then another.

"So, Li-san, have you figured out what your wish is?"

So far, so good.

"Yup! But, I'm not telling~!"

Maybe, they won't notice?

"Where are you going, Tsuna-Fish?"

"GACK!"

Tsuna nearly choked as a tug on the back of his collar jerked him back.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, the tanabata tree is _that_ way."

"O-Oh."

They saw…

Waterfalls poured down his face as he felt himself being lifted.

Now, he _has_ to put it up.

He dropped his head and allowed himself to be carried by the dark brunette.

A low sigh released from his lips before a thought came into mind.

Or, maybe not?

He perked up.

Maybe he can fool them!

* * *

It's not possible.

At _all_!

With slumped shoulders, the light brunette stood in front of the bamboo tree with the orange paper in hand.

The memory of his… _elimination_ of the tanzaku was followed by a certain dark brunette's bringing them many colorful papers.

It then moved to his plan of distraction through the usage of food stalls, but the redhead's pointing out the time messed that up.

And, then, when he tried to hide, the gender-bender easily found him and carried him back to the tree!

Now, he was stuck putting up his wish.

He sighed, bowing his head.

There was just _no way_ he can beat the cunning gender-bender and the genius redhead when he's considered hopeless.

Tears ran down his face, "Huu… Why do I have to do this?"

The ruffling of his hair stopped his self-pity as light-brown eyes looked up.

His vision was met with a quirky grin.

"Silly Tsuna! It's nothing bad!"

It is bad!

The light brunette frowned.

It might not even come true!

He bit his lower lip.

If it didn't…

Tsuna's eyes clouded over as worry pricked at him.

Then, he wouldn't know what to do…

Dark-brown eyes met with green ones in worry.

The caret-frown appeared once more as a hand mussed their owner's red locks.

The older ones glanced at one another before nodding.

Li pulled out a purple tanzaku as Shouichi pulled out a yellow one.

"Tsunayoshi-kun," The redhead started as he hung up his wishing paper, "You know that you don't _have_ to do this, right?"

Light-brown eyes blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

One hand placed the purple paper onto the tree as Li added on, "This is a festival!"

Tsuna turned to the dark brunette with wide eyes.

Having placed her wish up, Li turned to the younger boy and gave a quirky grin, "You came to have fun, didn't you?"

He nodded slowly as dark-brown eyes closed in a smile.

"If this isn't fun to you, then don't do it."

They opened again with a soft look as their owner ruffled Tsuna's fluffy hair, "We're not forcing you, y'know?"

A light blush dusted across the younger one's cheeks as he nodded slightly, "Un."

However, a smile has yet to appear.

The dark brunette frowned her caret-frown as the redhead looked on with worry.

Tsuna's expression was… nonexistent, or close to it.

And for such an emotional boy, that was practically unheard of!

Li furrowed her brows as she questioned, '_Why_ was Tsuna so… worried?'

Dark-brown eyes closed as the girl thought back.

He's obviously hesitating about putting up his tanzaku onto the tanabata tree.

And a tanzaku is a paper on which one writes one's wishes.

Since that's the case, one can deduce that Tsuna's worried about his wish!

And the fact that the other two had already put up their's had probably placed some pressure on him.

After all, the three did practically everything together.

If the light brunette didn't, then it would appear as if he were trying to distance himself.

Thus, he's debating as to whether or not he should conform or follow his own feelings.

A silent sigh was released by the dark brunette.

How typical of Tsuna to be worrying about something like that...

Li hummed lightly as she met eyes with Shouichi.

His green eyes portrayed a similar understanding and affirmed her suspicions.

Suddenly, her ears twitched as a familiar music began to play.

The dark brunette grinned as her eyes lit up in remembrance.

Of course!

What better way to cheer up a friend than with a song?

Besides, it's not really a Star Festival if they don't sing the traditional song, right?

She casually slung an arm around the light brunette's shoulders and closed her eyes.

_"Sasa no ha sara-sara~"_

The sound of her strong voice made the light brunette blink and gaze widely at the gender-bender as she sung.

Doki doki!

Came the sound of his heart as another arm slung over his shoulders before Shouichi continued.

_"Nokiba ni yureru~"_

Doki doki!

A warm feeling stirred in his heart as his cheeks flushed red.

How could he have forgotten?

Tsuna closed his eyes and parted his lips.

_"O-Ohoshi-sama kira-kira~"_

They weren't friends because they had to be.

Li grinned lightly as she locked eyes with the relieved redhead before all three finished.

_"Kingin sunago~!"_

They were friends because they wanted to be.

Light-brown eyes opened again and blinked at the older ones.

Li gave a quirky grin as Shouichi smiled softly.

And, they'll continue being friends for as long as they want!

Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck, "U-Um…"

He needn't say more as he was pulled into a gentle hug by both.

Hiding a blush and wide grin, Tsuna returned the warm embrace.

"... Come on," The redhead whispered, leaning back a bit, "I think that the Miss Tanabata contest is about to start."

Tsuna shook his head.

Shouichi blinked as Li nodded in agreement before pausing, "Eh?"

She was taken aback and it showed on her confused look, "No?"

The light brunette turned around and stepped towards the tanabata tree.

Two pairs of eyes widened at the action.

Tsuna lifted a hand and placed the orange paper onto a branch.

Green and dark-brown eyes softened at the sight of it being nestled between the yellow and purple papers.

The light brunette turned back with red cheeks.

He opened his mouth to say something, before squeaking when the dark brunette tackled him into a hug.

"Tsunayoshi-kun…?" Shouichi started, still confused, "Why…?"

His already flushed cheeks were about to permanently stay red from Li's tight embrace, but he forced it back and squeaked.

"B-Because," Tsuna started as the dark brunette lightened on the cuddling.

He looked down for a moment before meeting gazes with the other boy, determined, "It'll _definitely_ come true!"

Green eyes widened at the resolution before softening as Shouichi nodded in agreement with a grin, "Hai!"

Li grinned lightly and buried her face into fluffy locks, "Mochiron!"

Light-brown eyes closed as their owner's heart warmed.

_As long as I have them..._

A smile graced his lips as Tsuna leaned into the warmth.

_I don't have to be afraid._

* * *

(Extended Ending)

A moment of fluffy goodness passed before the light brunette remembered.

"Ah!"

The older ones blinked and looked at him in curiosity.

"Sh-Shouldn't we be going to the contest now…?"

Li perked up and grinned with a thumbs-up, "I forgot!"

Shouichi sweatdropped and facepalmed, "Li-san, you're not supposed to be proud of that…"

The girl blinked (not) innocently in response, "Why not?"

The redhead slumped over, "Li-san… You really like testing my temper, don't you?"

Tsuna laughed softly at their antics before tugging them towards the music in the distance.

They allowed themselves to be guided as they continued on with their meaningless conversation.

The dark brunette had given a lop-sided and toothy grin, "Why, whatever do you mean, Shou?"

Shouichi nearly fell over before gaining a throbbing vein and shaking a fist, "You-!"

"Me?" The dark brunette pointed at herself, making the redhead sigh in exasperation, "I give…"

Li laughed before quickening her pace with a devious glint in her eyes.

"Race ya~!"

The boys nearly tripped as the gender-bender ran pass them, but composed themselves with wide eyes.

"A-Ah, Li!"

"Li-san! Matte kure yo!"

Their only response was the sound of her laughter.

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

Back at the tanabata tree…

The three colorful papers swayed along with the gentle summer breeze.

_Tsuna and Shou will always be my friends!_ - The purple one stated with a doodle of a bird.

_I want to stay as friends with Tsunayoshi-kun and Li-san._ - The neat handwriting on the yellow one stated with a smiley face.

_I wish that Li and Shouichi-kun will always be with me in the end._ - The somewhat-neat scrawl on the orange one wrote.

The leaves of the bamboo tree rustled as a three-colored bird appeared.

Black eyes blinked at the papers before it hopped over to the violet one.

It puffed out its white chest as another one appeared.

The second one looked at the orange paper in curiosity.

A third one soon joined the pair and tucked away its blue wings before picking at the yellow one with its beak.

Suddenly, the first one startled and grabbed the violet tanzaku, flying off into the distance.

The other two followed briefly before turning around and returning to the tree.

The wind blew gently as the area became silent.

The other two made no motion to go after the distancing magpie and simply waited.

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

:3 TA DA~! A new chapter! Aren't you happy? xD

Anyway, there's a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter, the most obvious being the extra extended ending... :/

But, there were some foreshadowing throughout the entire thing.

Hm... What else? Oh, yeah!

The next chapter is a follow-up omake to this chapter and should appear either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Also, I have a pretty clear idea of how most of the other chapters will turn out though I haven't finished all of them... -.-'

But, I am planning on finishing them!

It'll just take a while with all that's going on right now... :/

Especially since I got an idea for a Super Smash Brothers Fanfiction and an original story...

But, I'm rambling again.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Takoyaki - Octopus Dumplings

(2) Nikuman - Meat Buns

(3) Udon - A type of noodle typically served in hot soup.

(4) Gochisousama deshita~! - Thank you for the food~! (Often said at the end of a meal.)

(5) Mochiron! - Of course!

**

* * *

Preview:**

When Li encountered the winner of the contest...

"What… did you… call me… _Oban-san_?" The dark brunette's brow twitched in irritation.

"Don't do it! Li-san!" Her redhead friend cried out, trying to hold the girl back.

She didn't know that the so-called beauty could be so irritating!


	30. Omake: Miss Tanabata, My Ass!

Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: Miss Tanabata, My Ass!_

A thin brow twitched sporadically.

"What did you…?"

The dark brunette bristled irritably.

"Call me…?"

A low growl rumbled in her throat.

"K_usobabaa_."

Sweatdrops appeared on the light brunette and redhead as they glanced nervously at each other.

"L-Li…" The former lightly tugged on the girl's shirt as the latter continued, "Please calm down…!"

Li merely growled and glared at the woman in front of her, "I'll relax once _Busu-san_ here apologizes!"

An elegant brow twitched at the gender-bender's remarks.

"What was that, _warugaki_?" The "Miss Tanabata" gritted out.

Dark-brown eyes traced over the woman's thick coverup as their owner wrinkled her nose.

"What? Gone deaf with your old age?"

The winner of the contest covered part of her face with a traditional fan and retorted.

"Better to be matured than to be a baby."

Metaphorical flames flared around Li as she growled.

"Are you calling me small, Debu-teme?"

If one looked closely enough, then a small throbbing vein could be found on the woman.

"You know some strange words, _Chibi_-chan."

The flames of ire intensified around the gender-bender as Shouichi jumped and grabbed onto the girl, whispering hastily, "Relax, Li-san. _Breathe_."

"Oh~?" Came the haughty hum of the woman as she questioned, "Have I offended you?"

With wide eyes and a churning gut feeling, Tsuna startled and tried to distract the females by dancing frantically, stammering, "A-Ano…! Et-to…!"

Ignoring the light brunette with eyes closed in a mocking smile, Miss Tanabata sneered, "I'm sorry."

Li continued to glare daggers at the woman before a vein throbbed at the low add-on.

"Sorry that you have no sense of feminine etiquette, you crude and distasteful brat."

"YOU-!" Li leapt forward with a snarl, "MUERA!"

Shouichi yelped and dug his heels into the dirt when she jerked forth before shouting.

"Dame da yo! Li-san! Korosu koto wa dekinai!"

Her answer was a snarl and a swipe at several barrettes.

The woman shrieked and back away, significantly freaked out, as Tsuna slumped over with a sigh.

A predatory grin crept up on the gender-bender's lips, revealing sharp canines, before disappearing.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"

A man in a dark blue uniform shouted, suddenly appearing from seemingly out of nowhere as the trio banded together.

"Keikan-san!" Faux tears clung to the woman's eyes as she sobbed, "Did you see this wretched child attack me?"

The man blinked and looked over to the three before sweatdropping.

With their fists against their chins, the children looked at him with wide eyes and wobbly lower lips as bubbles shined in the bright background.

"Uh…" The policeman looked between the woman and the three children before scratching his head, "I didn't see…?"

Miss Tanabata cried harder into the confused man's shoulders before secretly shooting a dirty glance at Li.

Li responded with a click of her teeth, briefly showing off all of her sharp pearly whites when the man was distracted.

As the policeman turned back, he was met with the sight of watery eyes and dejected faces.

His eyes misted over as his heart cried out at the sight of such innocence before he jumped a bit when the woman embraced him.

Slowly, he attempted to disentangle himself before paling when her arms tightened slyly around his waist and her tears became heavier.

He slumped over, feeling awkward with a weary face, before looking at the children who blinked back.

They looked at each other before Li held up a sign that read:

Need help?

The policeman nodded before the trio huddled together, whispering inaudibly.

Suddenly, the dark brunette perked up with a bright smile as the boys fidgeted nervously.

Li skipped forward before tugging on the man's hand and asking loudly with wide eyes, "Do you know this strange lady, Onii-san?"

The woman paused in her crocodile tears to glare at the interruption as the man shook his head rather vigorously, "I-Iie..."

Miss Tanabata's jaw dropped at the cooperation as bangs covered the girl's eyes.

A fanged grin flickered briefly on her lips.

Shouichi and Tsuna covered their ears.

She took a deep breath before-

"STOP TOUCHING ONII-SAN, WEIRD LADY!"

-the shout caught the attention of every nearby person.

A crowd began to form around the group as whispers flowed through.

"Isn't that the recently-voted Miss Tanabata?" (The woman preened at the association before...)

"How can she act so familiar with a respected policeman?" (She gulped.)

"Maybe it's the policeman coming onto her?" (She sighed in relief as the man tensed.)

"It can't be. I saw her jump onto him as soon as he got near!" (She froze as the man relaxed.)

"It's true! I saw it too! But, I thought that they might be together…" (They made a face simultaneously.)

"They can't be together if those children are acting like that." (Cue a trio of teary eyes and sniffling.)

"Yes, yes. They're crying as if she's hurting him." (An elbow slammed into the policeman's stomach.)

The crowd gasped as pain flickered across the man's face and he bent over.

"How dare she?" (The woman paled at her mistake.)

"Does she think we're blind?" (She shook her head, trying to deny it.)

"Her family must be ashamed to have such a-!"

Finally, real tears bursted forth from the shaken woman as she ran off.

The policeman sighed in relief before flushing red in embarrassment when the crowd started patting his shoulders sympathetically, cooing, "Poor you…"

Meanwhile, away from the crowd…

Bangs shadowed Li's eyes as she cackled lowly, "Kekekeke~! Serves her right for dissing _moi_!"

The redhead sighed in relief when the attention disappeared before sulking, "Li-san, you need to keep your temper in check."

Dark-brown eyes blinked at the redhead before their owner deadpanned, "I did."

Green eyes responded flatly, "Jumping at her was keeping your temper in check?"

A fanged smirk graced Li's lips as she replied.

"I haven't killed her, now have I?"

Shouichi sighed again as his shoulders slumped before shaking his head, "Anyway, if that policeman didn't come and if that woman didn't act that way, then things might've turned bad!"

Dark-brown eyes twinkled as their owner twirled around and sang, "Might've, could've, never would've~!"

Suddenly, Tsuna poked the dark brunette and queried, "What's going to happen now?"

She blinked at the mix of amusement, disapproval and confusion in the light-brown eyes before her eyes lit up.

With a quirky grin, Li pulled the boy close and playfully swiped at the boy's hair, chirping, "Ta da~!"

Light-brown eyes blinked before their owner tilted his head as the girl skipped away and twirled happily.

A cough from the redhead in an attempt to cover up his chuckle alerted the light brunette.

The latter gave the former a confused look but Shouichi simply waved it off.

Tsuna turned back to the dark brunette who appeared to have forgotten all about the previous annoyance.

Happy flowers danced around her as the background sparkled with bubbles again.

Imaginary question marks popped over Tsuna's head before he noticed something.

His bangs weren't so much in his face, anymore.

He blinked again and slowly raised his hand to his hair.

His fingers ran into a few smooth and hard obstacles.

A completely baffled look appeared before a thought drifted across his mind.

_Didn't Li steal some barrettes…?_

A dark cloud hung over him as realized.

_I'm wearing them, aren't I…?_

A kittenish grin played on Li's lips as she placed her palms on her cheeks and wriggled in place.

"_Tsuna-Fish_~! You look so _cute_~!"

A large sweatdrop made its appearance as Tsuna twitched and deadpanned, "I'm not a girl."

The dark brunette merely glomped him and gave a toothy grin, "I know~ But, that doesn't mean that you're _not_ cute~!"

Heat flourished on Tsuna's cheeks as he stuttered out, "I-I'm not supposed to be c-cute!"

The blush deepened when Li rubbed cheeks with the light brunette, singing-

"But, you are~!"

-as Tsuna whined.

"_LI_~!"

All the while, the Shouichi laughed at the other's predicament.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Ah!" The dark brunette paused in her cuddling Tsuna. "I almost forgot!"

Still blushing, the light brunette allowed a confused look to cross over his embarrassment, "What's wrong?"

The kittenish smile appeared on her lips again as a metaphorical cat's tail quivered gently from behind.

Excited dark-brown eyes shifted over to the redhead.

Shouichi paused in his laughter and blinked.

Li smirked, flashing her canines, as her eyes turned predatory.

The redhead paled as green eyes widened in thought.

"Oh, Shou~!" The dark brunette purred while releasing her grip on Tsuna, "Guess what~?"

The light brunette blinked at the shift in attention before hiding a smile behind a hand.

He gave an innocent look when meeting eyes with Shouichi, who pleaded silently.

A gulp was audibly heard from the redhead as bangs shadowed Li's eyes.

Her lips were curled up in a devilish grin as she chuckled lowly.

"Kekekeke~!"

Shouichi squeaked and turned to run, only to step on a banana peel.

He slipped backwards and blinked several times, thinking, 'Huh?'

He landed on something soft.

"You…"

Warms arms circled around his body.

"Are…"

The embrace tightened.

"ALSO _CUTE_~!"

Li cuddled the trapped redhead as the kittenish grin appeared again.

Heat flushed his system at the intimate gesture as he squeaked out.

"L-Li-san! Y-You're t-too clos-se!"

The dark brunette showed no sign of hearing as bubbles sparkled in the bright background.

Meanwhile, Tsuna poked the discarded fruit skin with a stick and mused quietly.

"Where'd the banana peel come from?"

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"Boo hoo…" A teenaged boy sniffled while watching the trio from behind a tree, "It's not fair…"

He wiped away his tears before hugging the banana bunch to his chest, "I wanna get cuddled by Xiao Li, too~!"

TWACK!

The hilt of a knife was brought swiftly down onto the boy's head as a raven-haired woman drawled.

"Interrupt them and _I'll_ 'cuddle' you."

A brief memory of the woman training the boy to escape from binds flashed through his mind's eye.

Tears coursed down the boy's face as a man with dark-brown hair chuckled softly.

"Maa, maa, koishii." The man started while flapping a hand, "That's enough teasing."

She paused briefly and glanced at her smiling husband before sighing at the bubbly background.

"Fine," The wife pouted as she sheathed the knife (somewhere), "But, only 'cause you said so, Dai-chan."

Daisuke smiled gently at the woman as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist, "That aside, it's good to see Kyuu-chan getting along with others."

Dark-brown eyes softened as their owner looked at her daughter, "Yes…"

She felt the man nuzzle her hair before whispering, "After all, Kyuu-chan may be accepting, but she never really loosened up with people. Tsunayoshi-kun's the first…"

Daisuke paused before chuckling merrily, "She's like you in that way, Xue Fang. Back in the days…"

Fang frowned before sulking, "I thought I said to never speak of that…"

Daisuke hugged the woman tighter, "It's okay, beloved. After all…"

He pulled away and twirled Fang so that she faced him.

Leaning their foreheads together, Daisuke's soft grey eyes stared firmly into dark-brown ones.

"I'll always love you."

A bright blush flourished on Fang's cheeks, "D-Don't kid around!"

The man grinned lightly for, despite those words, she never made an effort to turn or pull away.

Daisuke hugged her closely, closing his eyes in a smile.

Just being with her is a gift in and of itself.

"NOOOOO~!"

Both adults tensed at the cry.

"XIAO LI~!"

A vein throbbed on Fang as Daisuke sweatdropped.

"Kiyoshi…" The woman growled lowly, getting out of her comfortable embrace.

The boy showed no sign of hearing as he continued to wallow in self-pity, "Why, Xiao Li? WHY?"

He sniffled dramatically as light glinted off a blade.

"Why do you huggle _them_ and not m_-_!"

WHAM!

The hilt of the knife from before came down on the child's hard head.

Fang sheathed her weapon again and huffed while crossing her arms, "Just lay there and think about your actions!"

Kiyoshi twitched once… twice… before stopping with swirly eyes, "H-Hai…"

Meanwhile, Daisuke laughed at the scene, "Looks like he's taking a nap now!"

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

Heh. :3 Tsuna has a lot of impact on Li... And I abused Kiyoshi some more. xP

This omake was pretty much a filler... ^^'

Hm... :/

I'm feeling troubled. I have the summary for the other chapters, but lately I can't seem to sit down and type everything out...

I hope it's not the onslaught of a writer's block. ._.'

But, moving along...

THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Kusobabaa - Old Fart (used against old women)

(2) Busu-san - Miss "Dog"

(3) Warugaki - Brat

(4) Debu-teme - Fatso

(5) Chibi-chan - Runt

(6) MUERA! - DIE!

(7) Dame da yo! - Don't do it!

(8) Korosu koto wa dekinai! - You can't kill her!

(9) Keikan-san! - Mister Policeman!

(10) Onii-san - Big Brother (also Mister for young men)

(11) I-Iie... - N-No...

(12) Moi - Me

(13) Maa, maa, koishii. - Now, now, love.

**

* * *

Preview:**

Elderly and child stared each other down.

"Who are you?" The latter interrogated.

"I should be asking you that." The former retorted.

One could almost see electricity crackling in the air...


	31. Event 24: EH? Omae Wa Ora No Ojiisan?

Date: Friday, September 24, 2010

Title: The Journal of Memories

Author: Gin Nanashi

Creation Type: Fanfiction

Main Rating: K+

Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).

Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 24: EH? Omae Wa Ora No Ojii-san?_

Childish eyes gazed cautiously in front of their owner.

A tall and muscled man stood in front of her, clad in casual clothes and looking vaguely familiar.

She narrowed her eyes as his experienced ones gazed back evenly.

The child crossed her arms and gave her caret-frown.

"Who are you?"

The man mimicked her actions with a raised bushy brow.

"I should be asking you that."

Dark-brown clashed with blue as the two attempted to stare each other down.

One could almost see electricity crackle in the air.

In the background, a long-haired woman stepped into the living room with a tired expression.

She was followed by a man with worried grey eyes and the faint traces of a frown.

They paused and blinked.

A sweatdrop rolled down their head.

"What are you doing?" The woman deadpanned as the man smiled, "Why are you staring at Kyuu-chan?"

Light glinted off of the bald one's head as he snapped to attention.

Meanwhile, the girl blinked at the sudden interruption and tilted her head.

The frown stayed on her lips as she opened her mouth, but was interrupted again.

"WO DE NU ER~!"

Pink sparkles shined as the old man held out his arms and ran towards the woman.

SLAM!

His aged face met with the bottom of her slippers.

The old man twitched and fell to the floor as the woman gained a throbbing vein.

"I would appreciate it if you don't talk in Mandarin, Jijii."

Waterfalls coursed down the elder's cheeks.

"(Boo hoo…) You're as cruel as ever, my darling."

The woman clicked her tongue before placing her foot down and crossing her arms, "Well? What were you doing to Kyuu-chan?"

The old man sat up and echoed, "Kyuu-chan?"

Fang jerked a thumb over at the girl who was sulking in a corner.

Blue eyes blinked before the man cradled his chin, thinking.

"Musume-chan, wasn't that the nickname you gave your second child…?"

Silence reigned for a brief moment as both the old man and the child began processing the information.

"… Eh?"

The two paused and blinked before it finally clicked.

"EH?"

They jumped to their feet and pointed to one another.

"SHE/HE'S MY GRANDDAUGHTER/PA?"

A curt nod from the Fang was quickly followed by-

POOF! THUMP!

-a transformation and simultaneous fainting of the two.

Daisuke laughed softly as Fang facepalmed, groaning.

"Oy vey…"

* * *

Having dumped the unconscious pair onto the couch, Fang rubbed her temples and sighed, "Daisuke."

"Yes, love~!" The man soothed as he guided his wife to the love-seat before slowly massaging her tense shoulders.

The woman relaxed and leaned into his touch before grumbling out, "Why do they have to be so similar?"

Daisuke smiled at the rhetorical question as his wife continued to rant.

"It's one thing if they were blood-related…" She continued, "Especially since some personality traits are hereditary, but they're not!"

Grey eyes softened before their owner leaned down and kissed Fang's temple.

"Still, you love him as if he were your real father, right?"

The woman paused before exhaling slowly, closing her eyes.

"Yeah… After all, he was the one who took me in after…"

She trailed off as memories assaulted her, 'After...'

_"We can't keep her!" A hysteric woman shouted, gripping the shirt of a worn-out man._

_"C-Come now, love…" The other started with hands on the trembling shoulders, "She's our daughter-!"_

_"NO!" Came the adamant response, "We can't afford another _girl_! And, she's the _fourth_!"_

_The man furrowed his brows together, "Yes, but listen. She'll be able to trans-!"_

_"NO!" The woman shrieked with tears coursing down her face, "We _need_ a _boy_!"_

_She crumpled to her knees, sobbing._

_"A boy… we need a boy…"_

_The man looked pathetically at his wife before his eyes trailed over to the partially opened door._

_Pitiful brown eyes met with wide ones._

_He sighed and turned away._

_"Alright…"_

Dark-brown eyes reopened dully, '… I was discarded...'

Large hands covered her cold ones and squeezed gently, almost as if Daisuke had heard her thoughts and wanted to banish them.

Fang blinked away lingering coldness before smiling gently at the man.

Daisuke gave a little grin back and kissed the top of her head.

"Aishiteru, Yu Xue Fang."

* * *

Thin brows furrowed as their owner groaned before sitting up.

He rubbed the back of his head before blinking.

A sweatdrop rolled down the side of his face as he pulled a flat look.

"Mama… Papa…"

"Yes~?" The man replied with a small grin as Fang nuzzled his neck.

A brow twitched sporadically.

"Can't you guys do your mushy-gushy stuff alone-?"

WHAM!

A slipper kissed the child's face as a vein throbbed on the woman's temple.

THUD!

The dark brunette twitched on the floor as the old man stirred.

The latter groaned before sitting up and stretching with a wide grin.

"AH~!"

The bald one sighed happily, "What a GREAT nap~!"

Daisuke smiled with a small sweatdrop and started to ask, "How are you feeling, Otou-?"

CRACK!

Sadly, he couldn't finish as the smile froze on his lips and the sweatdrop multiplied.

Several strands of his hair drifted to the floor as light glinted off of the long black metal handle; its blade was embedded in the now-broken wall.

'My hair!' The younger man inwardly cried, 'Why is it always my hair?'

The old man's blue eyes glinted dangerously on his shadowed face.

"That's 'Master Dante De Luca' to you, whelp, lest you want a taste of my MIGHTY lance-!"

A blur passed by Dante as-

SLAP!

-Fang's other slipper smacked him upside the head.

A bump grew on the shiny baldness before the old man pouted with tears clinging to the edge of his eyes.

"What'd you do that for, sweetie~?"

The woman merely huffed and turned towards her child (who was busy rubbing his face and sulking).

Tears coursed down his wrinkled face as Dante sniffled, "(Boo hoo…) I'm being ignored…"

Fang nudged Li's backside with her foot, "Kyuu-chan, take your Ojii-san out to sightsee."

Li blinked and gave the woman a flat expression, "Do I have to?"

"Yes." Came the blunt reply.

A pout settled on the child's lips, "But, I don't know him!"

A dark aura surrounded the old man as he huddle into his own corner, "Now, I'm being disregarded by my sweet granddaughter…"

Both gender-benders deadpanned at the comment, "Since when was Kyuu-chan/I, sweet?"

Blue will-o'-wisps were seen floating around the old man.

(Boo hoo… again.)

* * *

A caret-frown was seen on Li's lips as he shuffled alongside the old man.

Discreetly, he glanced upwards before-

Glint.

'ARGH! I'M BLIND~!'

-the shininess of the bald head made him look away, cross-eyed and irritated.

The dark brunette sighed and sulked to himself.

Why did he have to do this?

Couldn't Kiyoshi have done it instead?

At least, he seemed to know the guy!

_A blur tackled the sulking old man to the ground._

_"IT'S OJII-SAN~!"_

_The joyous shout came from the ever-affectionate grey-eyed gender-bender._

_Pink sparkles once more filled the area as Dante swung his grandchild around._

_"Kiyoshi, my boy~!" He sang, having completely forgotten the previous event, "How have you been?"_

_Lips curved up as a similar metaphorical cat's tail quivered in excitement._

_"I've been great! Did'ya meet Xiao Li, yet?"_

_His metaphorical cat's ears perked up as grey eyes sparkled._

_"She's sooo cute~! Her soft, spiky head and her adorable eyes and her tiny body-!"_

_WHAM!_

_A tiny foot implanted itself into the babbling boy's face and-_

_THUD!_

_-brought the whole person down._

_A vein throbbed erratically on Li's temple._

_"WHO'S TINY, YOU OVERGROWN PUSSYCAT?"_

_Dante slapped his hands onto his cheeks, horrified, as Fang facepalmed._

_Daisuke continued to smile at their daily antics._

A pout settled on the dark brunette's lips as he crossed his arms.

Li didn't know the first thing about the guy!

Well, he didn't know anything but the fact that he was old…

And, bald….

With a mustache….

And a weird ability to create pink sparkles!

(What the heck was that all about?)

So!

Why _doesn't_ Li know that he has grandpa?

Dark-brown eyes closed as their owner thought long and hard.

(And, cue the next flashback!)

_"Xiao Li~!"_

_Said boy yelped as he was suddenly smothered by the older one's embrace._

_"Your violence means that you missed me~!"_

_Li twitched before attempting to push Kiyoshi's face away._

_"Do not!" Came the dark brunette's rebuttal, "Besides, I saw you last night!"_

_"But, that was last night!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, never letting go._

_He rubbed his cheek against the opposing hand, "It's been nearly nine hours~!"_

_A flat expression made itself known as Li sweatdropped, but the younger gender-bender couldn't dwell on his brother's affections._

_Instead, Li gazed suspiciously at the old man before nearly falling over at the elder's bright smile._

_Kiyoshi took this time to hug the younger boy close and wriggle around in happiness._

_Li's sweatdrop doubled in size at the gesture before tripling when small flowers twirled happily around the sibling._

_As if that wasn't enough joy, the old man had the nerve to chortle loudly with pink sparkles floating near his shiny bald head!_

_The dark brunette dropped his spiky head and released an exaggerated sigh, 'Why me…?"_

_As if hearing the thought, Fang snickered from behind her cup of hot, steaming tea._

_The younger boy glared half-heartedly at his mother before pouting at his father._

_Daisuke merely gave his child an oblivious smile and held up the teapot._

_A dark cloud hung over Li as he whined to himself, 'I give up…'_

Wait, that didn't explain anything!

Li scowled and crossed his arms.

His brows furrowed as he concentrated all of his brain juice.

Let's see the next flashback!

_One exaggerated sigh later…_

_Li turned to Kiyoshi and whispered secretly, "Ne, ne. Is he really our grandpa?"_

_Grey eyes blinked before their owner gave a grinned and nodded enthusiastically, "Yup! That's Ojii-san~!"_

_Dante continued to chuckle to himself as he brushed through his mustache._

_Li deadpanned, "Then, how come I never knew of him?"_

_Kiyoshi blinked before resting his chin on the younger one's head and humming._

_"Well… The last time he visited was on the afternoon when you were off distracting Tuna-san on his birthday…"_

_Li perked up at the mention of the light brunette._

_His lips quirked upwards as he reminisced happily, 'Tsuna-Fish~!'_

_A metaphorical cat's tail shook at the exciting memory before cat ears twitched as Kiyoshi cut in, "Although…"_

_Li sulked briefly at the interruption but became alert as his brother continued, "Ojii-san had to run off pretty quickly when it was nearing evening to make a delivery."_

Screech~!

Hold up!

Say, what, now?

Li paused in walking and cradled his chin in thought.

A delivery on Tsuna's birthday.

Tsuna's birthday which started at the circus.

The circus in which they played a whole bunch of games and won a whole bunch of prizes.

Prizes that consisted of laughter, plushes and…

A metaphorical lightbulb exploded.

"PLATES!"

The old man also paused and blinked at the dark brunette, "What about plates, Kyuu-chan?"

Li puffed out his cheeks at the nickname, but brushed it off.

Instead, he pointed dramatically at Dante, "YOU!"

A calloused finger pointed at its owner as he chorused, "I?"

"Yes, you!" The boy shouted, "You, you-!"

Dante sweatdropped at the near-convulsing gender-bender, "Calm down, Kyuu-chan, and speak properly."

The dark brunette breathed deeply before exhaling her signature kyuu-sigh before pointing at the man again.

"YOU'RE THE BALDY WHO GAVE US THE NAME-PLATES!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Silence reigned as a gust of wind blew past the still two before-

"AH!"

-Dante punched a fist onto his palm.

"I REMEMBER NOW!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Another pause as the two stayed in their position before…

_DOOM~!_

A dark cloud hovered over Dante as he huddled over near a wall, "I remember…"

Li sweatdropped at the action, "O-Oi…"

Blue will-o'-wisps floated mockingly around the old man, "I was delivering name-plates to three kids…"

The dark brunette flapped a hand, "Ano…"

Li's prompts went unheard as the elder ranted, "Because that trigger-happy woman forced me to..."

The atmosphere around the baldy dimmed as the boy pulled a flat expression, 'Even his shiny head lost its sparkle…'

Dante sniffled before sobbing into an arm, "I'm so pathetic! I didn't even recognize my own grandchild!"

The dark brunette turned away with a flat weirded-out expression, 'Oh how I hate to see a grown man cry…'

The gender-bender sighed before a thought occurred, "Eh?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked inquisitively, "Is the 'trigger-happy woman' that woman who was in charge of the air rifle stand?"

The old man nodded with tears still in his eyes, "Yes. That she-devil always makes me do all the hard work…"

Li ignored the still-sulking man and hummed to himself.

'Trigger-happy means that a person's first reaction is to shoot at things…'

Suddenly, the background turned bright with bubbles as Li placed his hands in a praying motion.

'That means that she's good with guns!'

Li's lips curved up as he wriggled around happily with hands on his cheeks and glittering eyes.

'Which means that she's got to have good aim!'

Determination entered the dark-brown orbs as Li pumped his fists by his sides.

'Thus, she can help me with my aim!'

Meanwhile, Dante continued to hover near the wall.

"(Boo hoo…) I'm being ignored again…"

* * *

"Ne…"

A nudge to the broad shoulder.

"How long are you going to cry…?"

A poke to the muscled arm.

"I'm gonna steal your fatty tuna."

And a blur went by!

A Toro Sashimi popped into an open mouth before a caret-frown appeared as Li chewed quietly.

Honestly!

The guy was like a REALLY _old_ and REALLY _bald_ version of Kiyoshi!

A pair of wooden sticks poked the Sake Sashimi before gingerly picking it up.

Droplets of tears clung to the wrinkled edge of closed eyes as the old man nibbled on the beautiful salmon.

Li sighed as he slumped over and rested his chin on the cool counter.

Why is it that he got stuck with the old busybody again...?

_"… And, after the delivery, Ojii-san had to run off for _another_ job!" Kiyoshi chirped while nuzzling Li's hair._

_"He said that he had to waste something called 'Ren' or another; I think it's a flower!"_

_A thin brow twitched on the dark brunette, "But, 'Ren' can also a name, right…? And, in Chinese, it means person…"_

_The older boy gave a lop-sided grin, "Yuppers~!"_

_"Mou~! You're so smart, Xiao Li~!" He cuddled the still-twitching and apprehensive boy, "Wouldn't it be hilarious if he _was_ talking about a person?"_

_Li sweatdropped and looked away with a flat expression, "As funny as it may be, I really don't care about that…"_

_Kiyoshi pouted, "You don't care about me?"_

_The dark brunette didn't bother with a response._

_Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes as Kiyoshi sniffled and hugged the younger one tightly, "Why, Xiao Li, WHY? Why do you ignore me so-?"_

_A finger jabbed into the older one's cheek as a vein throbbed on the younger gender-bender._

_"Why do I ignore you…?" He started lowly as his bangs covered his eyes._

_Kiyoshi sweated and gulped at the change in attitude._

_Dark-brown eyes glanced sharply at the older one, "I believe that the real question is…"_

_They narrowed as Kiyoshi began to sweat more dramatically._

_"Why…" It came out as a soft, almost silent, whisper, like the hissing of a bomb before-_

_"WHY, oh, WHY do _I_ have to babysit the freaking' BALDY?"_

_-it exploded._

_Tears ran down the older one's face as Li tugged harshly on his cheek._

_"I barely know the old man! Why can't _you_ do it?"_

_The dark brunette pulled once more before abruptly releasing his grip._

_Snap!_

_Kiyoshi's head tilted backwards before he whimpered and rubbed the red spot with tears prickling at the edge of his eyes._

_"I would love to help you, Xiao Li, but I got training with Okaa-san."_

_Li paused in his rant at the excuse._

_Suddenly, a dark aura hung over both as the same image crossed their mind._

_A tall woman cackled deviously in front of a fiery background with a shadowed face and glinting eyes while flashing her many knives._

_Dot. Dot. Dot._

_And, there goes the awkward silence._

_Li turned away and reluctantly grumbled, "Fine… I'll take care of the old one."_

Oh, yeah... That was why.

A loud, exaggerated sigh was released by the dark brunette as he almost oozed out of his seat.

'Mama's always training Kiyoshi.' Came the vague thought, 'It makes me wonder why…'

Dark-brown eyes stared blankly in front of their owner at nothing in particular.

'They don't even use the same weapon!'

He vaguely registered the white movement of the chef.

'Mama uses knives and Kiyoshi uses a kwan dao.'

A faint pout rested on Li's lips.

'But, I guess that that's gotta count for something since they're both blades…'

The gender-bender narrowed his eyes.

'But, Mama typically throws her knives while Kiyoshi focuses on close combat…'

The child puffed out his cheeks and thought harder.

'Not only that, but I like throwing things, so why doesn't Mama train me more?'

A pan of realization smacked onto his spiky brown head.

'Could it be that I'm s-s-sma-' Arms waved around in irritation, '-ARGAGOOSH!'

'I can't even think it…' A dark aura hovered around him as Li sulk, 'Darn it! It's not my fault that I'm only six!'

The gender-bender sighed exaggeratedly and rested his chin back on the table.

'But, it still doesn't make sense…'

The tip of the metaphorical cat's tail twitched rapidly.

'I mean, Mama trained Kiyoshi since he was a kid…"

Brows furrowed and twitched irritably.

'Besides, Kiyoshi's weapon is almost like the old man's lance! Shouldn't they train together instead…?'

Slowly, Li's eyes began to swirl around before-

POOF!

-white smoke filled the area, making the chef and some customers cough in surprise.

"Mou~! I transformed~!" Came the annoyed whine before a sigh, "Kyuu… My brain hurts now…"

A hearty chuckle sounded through the air, making Li blink in surprise.

She turned her head so that she faced the old man, "What's so funny?"

The white mustache twitched as Dante smiled before shaking his head, "I was just remembering."

Li raised a brow at this as the wisps began to clear and the old man continued.

"Musume-chan also had trouble controlling her power."

The gender-bender sat up with wide eyes, ears alert, "Mama did?"

Blue eyes gazed softly upon the child before closing in a smile, "Yes, she-"

"IS EVERYONE OKAY?" A loud voice called out from in front of the two.

Both girl and elder blinked in surprise before looking at the speaker.

It was the owner of the sushi restaurant; a strong man with a currently worried face.

"O-ho ho ho ho~!" Dante chuckled in response, "Quite fine, thank you very much!"

A few others voiced the same answer.

The chef breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness!"

He rubbed his chin in thought, "But, that was strange! White smoke suddenly filled the room!"

A sweatdrop made its way down Li's face as she gave an embarrassed grin.

"Yes! Quite strange!" Dante agreed, making the girl pout out her lower lip, "Almost as if a ninja was in our midst!"

The chef laughed heartily at the comment, "It would be interesting if there were ninjas!"

Li pulled a flat expression as the two continued to chortle in unison as if they were old friends.

'Why am I always referred to as a ninja…?'

The girl grumbled to herself as she rested her chin on the countertop again.

'Can't I be a pirate, like Sanji-san, or something?

An exaggerated sigh was released again as the older men conversed about the food.

"Ara?" Came an exclamation before a familiar carefree laugh was heard, "If it isn't Li the ninja!"

Dark-brown eyes blinked before their owner turned to look in the direction of the voice.

Cue double blinks before Li shouted-

"AH! IT'S TAKESHI-!"

- and jumped out of her seat, but miscalculated the height and-

THUD!

Fell from the tall stool as a certain baseball-fan hovered over her in worry.

"Li! Daijoubu?"

The dark brunette twitched from her sprawl on the floor at the boy's familiar question.

The girl propped up her head and gave a lopsided grin before opening her mouth to respond when a blur smothered her.

"KYUU-CHAN, DAIJOUBU DESU KA?"

Li waved her arms frantically as the old man hugged her tightly, nearly suffocating her, thinking.

'How the heck did he move so fast?'

Tears prickled at Dante's eyes as he blubbered, "I'M SO SORRY! I was too engaged in the conversation! I'm such an AWFUL grandpapa!"

Well, doesn't this scene seem familiar…

Finally, Li pushed away enough from the tight embrace to breathe before gaining a throbbing vein.

"You…"

Her aura crackled dangerously as the bald man sniffled and looked at her with watery eyes.

"BALD OLD MAN!"

SLAM!

A sneaker-clad foot made friends with the wrinkled face as a fiery aura exploded from the child.

"THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORRY AND PANIC, YOU KNOW?"

Li's cheeks were flushed red from the near-death experience as she continued to press her foot down.

Dante cried waterfalls of tears, "(Boo hoo…) I'm so sorry…"

Meanwhile, Takeshi laughed his carefree laugh, "They really care for each other, don't they, Oyaji?"

"Aa!" The chef nodded in agreement with a wide grin, "It's great to see such love!"

In the background, the other customers deadpanned at the sight.

"How is violence, love?"

Li cackled victoriously with Dante below her foot, twitching.

The customers turned away, shaking with one unison thought.

'S-Scary…'

* * *

"Kyuu…" Li sighed as she leaned against the tabletop, "I'm tired now…"

In the background, Dante was still sniffling with bumps on his head and blue will-o'-wisps floating around him. A clear shoe-print was imprinted onto his wrinkled face as Tsuyoshi patted his broad shoulder in comfort.

"Maa, maa~!" Takeshi grinned from his seat next to the girl, "The sun's still up, so you can't be tired yet!"

The dark brunette deadpanned, "What the heck does the sun have to do with anything…?"

The boy closed his eyes and flashed his mega-watt smile, "The sun is always bright and shiny so it's always full of energy!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Thunk!

The dark brunette slumped over while ruffling her spiky hair.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR LOGIC, TAKESHI!"

Said boy laughed as if he had discovered the secret behind yummy, soft chocolate-ship cookies before-

POOF!

-white smoke billowed from Li, making him cough a bit in surprise.

"Again?" The dark brunette exclaimed before groaning, "I give up…"

A weight on Li's head made him peek out at the boy beside him.

Takeshi grinned lightly while ruffling the soft locks, "Don't give up!"

Dark-brown eyes blinked at the encouragement before Li sighed again.

"Honestly…" A small smile played on the gender-bender's lips, "You're almost as weird as I am!"

Takeshi laughed again, "Really? Then, that makes us brothers, right?"

Li blinked at the question and echoed, "Brothers…?"

The baseball-fan slung his arm across Li's shoulders and pulled him closer, "Yup!"

A grin continued to play on the carefree boy's lips, "You like football; I like baseball; we both like sports; thus, we're brothers!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

"I _REALLY_ DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR LOGIC!" Li exclaimed before slumping over, exhausted as his soul was tempted to drift off.

A faint thought lightly danced across his mind, 'And, when did I say that I like football…?'

Nonetheless, there was no disagreement as Takeshi continued to ruffle the dark-brown spikes.

Li sighed and rested his head on his arms, "That aside, the old man still hasn't told me anything about Mama…"

He nearly oozed out of his seat in exhaustion, sighing for the umpteenth time, "Kyuu…"

Bright brown eyes looked curiously at the dark brunette before their owner mused, "Why don't you take him the park to talk?"

The boy paused in his meltdown and blinked at the boy besides him, "The park?"

"Yeah." Takeshi grinned, "Remember that park where we met?"

Li perked up before placing his hands on his cheeks with a kittenish grin, "The day you gave me sushi to eat~!"

"Ahahaha~ That's the one!" The boy laughed softly before going on, "Oyaji and I always go there to connect. Maybe going there will help you...?"

The dark brunette glanced over at the crying old man and thought for a moment.

The park where he had met so many of his friends…

If he went there with his grandpa, then would they get closer too...?

Dark-brown eyes watched the bald man who so closely resembled his beloved sibling.

Well, it was worth a try if he wanted to know more!

Li flashed a grin at his baseball-loving friend, "Thanks for the advice, Takeshi~!"

"You're welcome!" The boy replied with a laugh, "Good luck!"

A thumbs-up was his response before Li grabbed onto the back of the old man's shirt.

"Come on, baldy! Let's go to the park!"

* * *

The soft dirt ground…

The surrounding tranquil forest…

The occupied swing set…

The large golden sandbox…

The great tall jungle gym…

A kittenish smile appeared on Li's lips as he gazed brightly at his self-proclaimed hide-out.

The vast blue sky, the bright yellow sun and the carefree clouds just added to that beauty.

Turning to the old man, Li questioned, "Ne, ne. Who exactly are you?"

He looked a bit surprised at the question before laughing and crossing his arms, "O-ho ho ho ho~! You're as blunt as Musume-chan~!"

Dark-brown eyes blinked curiously before the man continued.

"I am formally known as Dante De Luca," He introduced himself before adding in a wink, "Loosely translated, that's Italian for 'Enduring Light'."

Dante fiddled with his mustache a bit, humming tonelessly, "I am your mother's father…"

"But, you're not related, right?" Li cut in, attentively, "'Cause Mama's completely Chinese."

Blue eyes sparkled at the girl before their owner nodded, "That's correct. I adopted your mother when she was a young girl, before she first transformed."

The gender-bender perked up at the mention of the innate ability and brought his knees to his chest, "You said that Mama also had trouble with her power."

"I did, didn't I?" Dante chortled before rubbing his chin, "Let's see…"

He closed his eyes briefly before explaining, "Based on my observations (of Musume-chan), the ability to gender-bend corresponds to the strength of feelings, that is the amount of control a gender-bender possesses over the power is based on how intense the emotions currently felt is."

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Dark-brown eyes stared blankly at the old man as Li made a face that said, "I have no clue what you just said 'cause I'm _only_ SIX years old, stupid baldy."

The old man sweatdropped before laughing nervously and re-explaining.

"Basically," Dante simplified, "The stronger your feelings are, the less control you have."

Thin brow furrowed as Li asked slowly, "Then, how do I control it…?"

A sparkly smile and a thumbs-up nearly blinded the kid as Dante declared, "By discarding your emotions, of course!"

Dot. Dot. Do-

BAM!

A foot implanted into the aged face as veins throbbed on Li's temple.

"YOU CAN'T DISCARD EMOTIONS, HAGE-JII!"

Tears coursed down as Dante sniffled, "Why do you hurt me so~?"

The boy turned around and huffed, "You act too much like Kiyoshi."

He stopped sulking and perked up, "Like Kiyoshi?"

"That's right!"

Li had donned glasses and whipped out a pointer while closing her eyes.

She tapped the pointer at a picture showing the older gender-bender huddled in a corner with a dark aura hovering around him and violet and green will-o'-wisps floating mockingly, "This is Kiyoshi's typical reaction to everything."

She then slapped the pointer onto the picture next to it of the old man in the same position, but with blue will-o'-wisps instead, "And this is you."

"Therefore!" She poked the old man in between his eyes, "You equal Kiyoshi!"

The bald head shined as pink sparkles appeared before Dante glomped the girl, "YOU'RE SO PERCEPTIVE, KYUU-CHAN~!"

POOF!

"Mmph-!" Tiny arms waved around frantically, airing away the white smoke, as their owner struggled in the embrace.

"YOU REALLY ARE LIKE MUSUME-CHAN~!"

And, it's time to cue the lovely hearts.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"We did so many things today!"

Dark-brown eyes watched the scene with a flat expression.

"We talked about an assortment of things, like how our first meeting was actually at my job and about Musume-chan's childhood!"

Ears twitched at the sound of an enthusiastic old man.

"Did you know that I was the one who delivered that plate of hers?"

Fingers flexed in a threatening motion.

"And, we shared sushi at Take-Sushi, which I recommend wholeheartedly, by the way. The owner's a great guy, a real professional!"

A vein throbbed in irritation.

"Then, she took me to her favorite pa-!"

SLAM!

"ACK!" Came the strangled cry as Li jump kicked the old man in the back.

A killer aura emitted from her small body as they landed with a thump.

Bangs shadowed the girl's face as she growled.

"Hage-jii…"

She started, eyes glinting dangerously in the shadows.

"Who said that you can blab to everyone?"

Blue eyes stared innocently at the girl before lighting up in comprehension.

"Oh! That's right!" Dante chirped before cuddling his granddaughter, "It's our little secret, right?"

BONK!

"KUSO-JII!"

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

As Li abused her grandpa, Fang raised an eyebrow, "When did she start to call him, Gramps?"

Daisuke smiled, "Looks like they really did get closer."

Kiyoshi sniffled in the corner, "Xiao Li, don't forget about me~!"

Suddenly, a metaphorical lightbulb exploded above the girl.

"AH!"

She cried, slapping her hands over her cheeks in realization.

"I OWE HIM ANOTHER ONE!"

(Somewhere else, a baseball idiot sneezed before laughing, "I think I'm coming down with a cold~!")

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

*cough* Yeah, this chapter basically dwells into history and the likes... *sweat*

B-But, at least, Takeshi, his dad and sushi appeared! *gets tonfa'd* ^

Anyway...!

Updates will be coming slower with all the things I have to do now.

I'll still try to update at least every week, but it might not happen...

But, either way, I'm not planning on stopping this story!

That aside...

I've uploaded a picture of how Dante looks like.

THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) WO DE NU ER~! - MY DAUGHTER~!

(2) Jiijii - Old Man

(3) Musume-chan - Daughter

(4) Oy vey... - (Exasperated Expression)

(5) Aishiteru, Yu Xue Fang. - I love you, Xue Fang Yu. (Here, Daisuke uses Fang's maiden name to show that even back then, he loved her.)

(6) Ojii-san - Grandpa

(7) Oyaji - Dad (very informal)

(8) Hage-jii - Baldy Gramps

(9) Kuso-jii - Damned Gramps

**

* * *

Preview:**

Sparkles filled dark-brown eyes.

"Will you do it?"

Hazel-green eyes looked exasperate.

"Can't you ask Fang-senpai?"

A pout from the child.

"But, you're cooler!"

BAM!

"Who's cooler...?"

And so, Li enters the danger zone...


	32. Omake: Of Extreme Sadists!

Date: Monday, September 27, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Omake: Of Extreme Sadists!_

* * *

Dark-brown eyes sparkled as they stared into hazel-green ones.

The latter's owner sweatdropped at the former's, "H-Hey…"

Bubbles sparkled in the bright background as metaphorical cat ears perked up.

The sweatdrop doubled in size as a blonde brow twitched.

"Can you stop staring at me…?"

A kittenish smile appeared on the dark brunette as she wriggled around in place, "But, you're so _cool_-looking~!"

A slender hand ran through long blonde hair before its owner sighed, "Your mom's pretty cool-looking too, y'know?"

The kid pouted and crossed her arms, "But, she's _Mama_! I can't see her as being cool-!"

BONK!

A knife's hilt smacked into the girl's hard head as a voice gritted out, "_Whom_ can't you see as being cool…?"

Tears ran down the dark brunette's cheeks as she whimpered, "No one, Mama…"

Canines flashed dangerously as Fang sheathed her weapon, "That's what I thought, Kyuu-chan."

A dark aura hung around Li as she huddled by a corner, sniffling, "Mama can be so cruel…"

The comment went over the raven-haired woman as she grinned to the sweatdropping blonde, "Hey, Riza. Long time no see, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that, but…" Riza sighed as her lips quirked up slightly, "I see you've still retained your Spartan ways, Fang-senpai."

"Kekekeke~!" Came the ravenette's cackle as her eyes flashed, "Why would I have given it up in the first place?"

Li whined at the rhetorical question, but a slipper to the face silenced her.

Ignoring the violet will-o'-wisps around Li, Fang plopped onto the couch and queried, "How's life treating you?"

Hazel-green eyes rolled upwards as Riza shrugged, "The same as always. Traveling 'round, doing odd jobs, that sort of thing."

A chuckle came from the ravenette, "And you're still working with Papa, right?"

Shoulders slumped as exasperation hung over the blonde's head, "Please don't remind me…"

Fang snorted before bursting out in laughter when a vein throbbed on Riza's temple.

"Fang-sempai…" The blonde bit off, hands trailing to her thighs, "I'd appreciate it if you stop laughing at me."

Canines flashed in a smirk as the ravenette drawled lowly with steely eyes, "Are you threatening me, Riza…?"

Dark-brown eyes clashed with hazel-green ones as both females stared each other down.

Electricity sparked between them before-

"Here you go~!"

-their vision was obscured by a man with spiky dark-brown hair and wisps of steam.

He placed down the tray of tea onto the low table before smiling brightly, "Earl Grey for Riza-san and Green Tea for my beloved~!"

The sweet aroma filled the room, making a small nose twitch as Li perked up, "Papa~!"

She glomped her father and widened her eyes dramatically, "Do I get one too?"

Before the man could respond, Fang pulled the girl off with a tug on her ear, commanding, "Dai-chan, don't give Kyuu-chan tea. It'll make her hyper again."

"I don't get hyper!" Li pouted as Riza breathed in the scent of her tea and sipped quietly.

The ravenette ignored the girl and smiled brightly at her husband, "Besides, she needs to grow-"

"WHO'S SMALL?"

"-so give her milk-"

"NOOOOO~! NOT MI-!"

BONK!

"URUSAI TTE BA!"

Daisuke chuckled at the common scene as Riza raised a brow in faint surprise, musing, "She's changed..."

The comment passed over Fang as she pulled on her daughter's cheeks with a shadowed face and glinting eyes, "You need milk."

"NOOOOO~!" Came the dramatic cry from the kid, "Non mi piace il latte~!"

"Berlo!" The pull got harder as a low cackle emitted from the ravenette, "Kekeke~!"

Waterfalls coursed down the kid's cheeks as she whimpered, "Mi fa male, Mama…"

A vein throbbed on the ravenette's temple before she released her grip and shook her head, sighing exaggeratedly, "Looks like I need to increase your training~!"

Li paled and backed away, shaking her head slowly, "N-No, thank you."

Dark-brown eyes flashed dangerously as the woman cooed lowly, "Oh~? But, weren't you complaining before about how I 'only' train Kiyo-chan?"

Arms crossed in an x-formation, Li shook her head more vigorously, "Nope. Nu-uh. No way. Never said that."

The girl shrunk as the woman grew with a fiery aura, smirking ominously with her hair shadowing her face.

"KEKEKEKE~!"

The latter cackled and grabbed the child by the back of her shirt, attempting to smuggle off with her, when-

Ding~ Dong~!

-the doorbell rang.

Fang blinked as the aura disappeared and Li wiped away sweat, thinking, 'Saved by the bell!'

"I'll get it~!" Daisuke chirped happily as he pranced off.

Silence reigned over the females before Fang turned to Li with a toothy grin, "Back to where we were…"

POOF!

The silent blonde raised both brows at the sight of white smoke before murmuring softly, "Already...?"

Her musing went unnoticed as tears poured down the gender-bender's cheeks.

"Mama~!" Li whined around, "I don't wanna d-!"

"HIIIII?" Came the startled cry from the guest, cutting off the dark brunette who blinked, "L-LI?"

Said boy looked over with watery eyes before holding out his arms towards the guest, "TSUNA~! TASUKETE~!"

The light brunette gulped at the dark look shot at him before stuttering, "A-Ano, Fang-s-san…"

The look darkened, earning a small squeak from the other as he hid behind the smiling man, before Li whined, waving an arm towards his mother, "Stop picking on Tsuna~!"

"Che." Was the short response before-

Thump!

-Li landed painfully on his bottom.

The dark brunette gave a short whimper before perking up and grinning over at the lighter one.

Jumping to his feet, Li pranced towards the younger boy and glomped him, "Tsuna~! I missed you~!"

Fang rolled her eyes at the greeting before chucking a knife at them, "Are you leaving now?"

Both boys paled when the weapon barely missed the gender-bender's head and embedded itself into the wall between them.

Sweat rolled down before Tsuna nodded vigorously, tugging on Li who called out, "SEE YA~!"

A trail of dust was left in their wake as they dashed out the door.

Dot. Dot. Dot.

"Anyway~!" Fang chirped before her expression steeled, "Let's get down to business."

* * *

"Waaa~ That was close!" Li sighed as Tsuna nodded vigorously before spotting a figure in the distance.

"Ah! Shouichi-kun!" The light brunette called out while waving towards the approaching redhead, "I got Li!"

"SHOU~!" Came the dark brunette's greeting as he stretched a bit while grinning widely and singing, "WE'RE FREE~!"

"Free from what?" A redhead asked with a raised brow as he examined the brunettes' ruffled appearance.

Li opened his mouth to reply when the image of the ravenette throwing a knife at him flickered across his mind's eye, "…"

A dark aura descended upon the brunettes as they slumped over a nearby wall, earning a baffled look from the redhead before he joked, "What? Was Fang-san throwing a fit?"

The aura darkened as a few will-o'-wisps hovered around the silent boys.

A sweatdrop ran down the redhead's head as he twitched lightly, "… She was?"

They nodded in sync before a cold wind blew pass them; a tumbleweed rolled by.

Shouichi shivered, "I-I see…"

"But!" Li perked up as the background suddenly turned bright and sparkly with bubbles, "Like I said: We. Are. FREE~!"

His arms spread to embrace the vast sky as he grinned widely and sang.

"Free like the wind~! Drifting like the clouds~! No more restoration-!"

"Restoration?" Shouichi cut in as he deadpanned, "Don't you mean 'restriction' as in no more limitations?"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

POOF!

White smoke billowed from the gender-bender as she waved her arms rapidly, airing out the wisps without intention, while whining.

"SHOU~!"

A pout graced the dark brunette's lips as her cheeks were visibly red, "Stop picking on me~!"

The redhead merely crossed his arms and grinned lightly, "What if I don't want to?"

Another whine released from the girl as she clung onto the other boy, "Tsuna~! Make him stop~!"

The light brunette sweatdropped before smiling nervously, "Uh… Stop…?"

A dark aura descended over the girl as she huddled below a wall, making friends with violet will-o'-wisps.

Shouichi bursted out laughing and Tsuna soon joined in as Li sniffled.

"Meanies…"

* * *

"Li-san." The redhead sighed as said girl kicked forward on the swings, "You know I was just playing with you."

"Buu~ I dun wanna talk with you anymore." Her lips were pouted out as she grumbled, "Meanie Shou."

Shouichi sweatdropped before flapping a hand at her, "Hai, hai."

"Hn!" Came the huff as Li turned away and swung higher.

Green eyes rolled upwards at the action before landing on an amused light brunette and lighting up.

The redhead motioned for the younger boy to come closer.

Tsuna tilted his head in confusion, but complied before Shouichi swung an arm over his shoulders and whispered secretly.

The actions caught the dark brunette's attention as she gradually came lower before eventually slowing to a stop.

"HIIIII?" Came the startled scream from Tsuna as he jumped away and shook his head vigorously, arms crossed in an x-formation, "IYADA! ZETTAI IYADA!"

Li perked up, fully attentive, as Shouichi sighed, "It's not going to kill you, Tsunayoshi-kun."

"IT WILL!" The light brunette shouted back, continuing to back away, "I'LL DEFINITELY DIE!"

"NOOOOO~!" A blur tackled Tsuna as Li clung onto him with tears in her eyes, "DON'T DIE ON ME, TSUNA-FISH~!"

Two pairs of eyes met and glinted briefly.

"Li-san." The redhead called out, flapping a hand and deadpanning, "You're choking him."

"EH?" The girl jumped and pulled away before panicking at the limp body, "TS-TSUNA?"

No response came the light brunette.

POOF!

"WHAT SHOULD I DO~?" Li shouted, ruffling his hair as the smoke billowed, "TSUNA'S NOT RESPONDING~!"

Green eyes looked away from the whiteness as Shouichi sang, "Not my problem."

"SHOU~!" Came the pleading cry, "HELP ME~! (No, wait.) HELP TSUUUNA~!"

The dark brunette clung onto the redhead, sniffling, "Pwease…?"

Shouichi raised a brow at the gender-bender whose face was buried before looking over at the light brunette.

Green eyes met with light-brown ones as lips quirked upwards.

"Shou~!" Li pleaded again, shaking the boy by his shirt, "We gotta do something!"

A hand covered the redhead's lips before he sighed, "Guess it can't be helped."

Dark-brown eyes looked glassily at the bespectacled boy as his glasses glinted in the sunlight.

"This calls for Irie's Super Special Formula Candy!"

Li blinked as Shouichi ruffled through his pockets before the former echoed, "Irie's Super Special Formula Candy?"

The redhead grinned lightly and pulled out a translucent yellow bag with the letters "ISSFC" scribbled on top of a scratched out word that appears to have started with a "K" (but it will never be known). It was filled with many tiny sweet pieces, each differently colored with a number of bulges.

The gender-bender looked wide-eyed as Shouichi sauntered over to the light brunette and popped one into his mouth.

The youngest boy twitched before sitting up and rubbing his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a blur tackling him.

"TSUNA-FISH~!" The dark brunette hugged the lighter one with tears clinging to his eyes as he sniffled, "I'm so sorry!"

The light brunette blinked before smiling and flushing a bit, "I-It's okay, Li. I'm okay."

Li whimpered a bit and hugged the other tighter, burying his face into Tsuna's shoulder, "If it weren't for Shou, then things might've turned bad!"

Light-brown eyes met with green ones before both pair sparkled mischievously.

"But, Shouichi-kun _is_ here and I _am_ okay!" Tsuna grinned lightly, "Shouichi-kun's really awesome, na?"

The gender-bender paused before pulling away and clapping his hands together. Bubbles shined brightly around Li as he looked over at the redhead before tackling him in a hug, "SHOU~! YOUR SUPER SPECIAL CANDY THING WAS PURE AWESOMENESS~!"

Pulling back a bit, Li shot adoring sparkly eyes at the sweatdropping redhead before the latter deadpanned, "I thought you weren't going to talk to me anymore?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked before-

POOF!

-white smoke appeared once more as the gender-bender panicked.

"NOOOOO~!" Li shouted, hands slapped onto her cheeks, before she slammed her head onto the ground in a bow, "I TAKE IT BACK~!"

Thunk!

"L-LI/-SAN!" The boys shouted in surprise before panicking at the trail of red liquid, "Y-YOU'RE BLEEDING!"

The girl took no heed and continued to apologize with tears in her eyes.

Thud!

"SHOU'S STILL MY FRIEND! "

"Please stop, Li-san!"

Smack.

"I LOVE SHOU!"

"Stop it, Li!"

Twack!

"DON'T LEAVE ME, SHOU~!"

* * *

"I can't believe you did that." The redhead grumbled, tapping his foot, "I know you're dramatic, but that doesn't mean you can hurt yourself!"

Li blinked and lightly kicked her feet before asking, "You're still my friend, right?"

Shouichi nearly fell over before shouting, "That's not important, right now!"

A caret-like frown appeared as the gender-bender stated firmly, "Yes, it is."

Dark-brown eyes met with wide green ones before the latter's owner sighed, shoulders slumping.

"Li-san…" Shouichi started as he plopped onto the bench besides the girl, "I was only teasing you about not talking to you."

The gender-bender blinked before repeating, "Then, we are friends, right?"

The redhead sweatdropped before sighing and smiling, "Yeah. We're still friends."

Li perked up and smiled brightly, "Good!"

"Li." Came the call from the light brunette.

The gender-bender looked up before-

"ITAI!"

POOF!

-the familiar smoke appeared again.

Shouichi sweatdropped before musing, "You've been transforming a lot lately, Li-san."

The wisps cleared before Li flinched when a wet handkerchief dabbed onto his cut.

Waterfalls coursed down his cheeks as the dark brunette whined, "I know~! But, I can't help it! Even though Hage-Jii (sort of) told me the secret behind it, I still can't control it!"

Tsuna paused in his cleaning of the wound and blinked, echoing, "Hage-Jii…?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked before lighting up as Li grinned, "Oh yeah! I never told you guys, right?"

Two simultaneous nods were his answer.

Crossing his legs, the dark brunette leaned on his ankles and explained, "Hagi-Jii is Mama's Papa and he was the one who gave us the plates!"

"EH?" Shouichi exclaimed, baffled, "That scary baldy?"

Li nodded exuberantly as Tsuna piped up, "What scary baldy?"

The older ones sweatdropped before the redhead scratched his cheek, "Ah, that's right. Tsunayoshi-kun was sleeping at that time."

The light brunette blinked before Li poked his cheek and grinned lightly, "Remember, on your birthday, you fell asleep in the circus?"

Tsuna paled dramatically as the image of the clown's being in his face flashed across his mind's eye, "O-Oh."

"Tsuna…?" Li waved a hand in front of the other's face, "You alright?"

Shouichi sweatdropped and waved a hand, "M-Maa, Tsunayoshi-kun. It was a while back, so relax."

The light brunette flopped onto the bench, slumped over, and twitched, "I remember… the clowns..."

At the mention of the clowns, all three paled as a dark cloud hung over them.

(Creepy clowns…)

Suddenly, Li shook his head vigorously to clear himself of the thoughts before continuing on, "A-Anyway-! Hage-Jii came to visit and I had to take him out to sightsee!"

He leaned back a bit and hummed, "I guess it was pretty fun! I never spent a day with an old man before!"

The boys sweatdropped before Shouichi piped up, "What did your grandfather say?"

Li blinked before remembering, "Oh yeah!"

He frowned and crossed his arms, "Hage-Jii said something about feeling too much emotion and transforming!"

"Then, what are you supposed to do?" Tsuna asked with furrowed brows as Shouichi deadpanned, "What? Are you supposed to throw away your feelings?"

A sheepish grin made the boys fall over before the redhead shouted, "Are you serious?"

The light brunette crossed his arms and shook his head, "You can't throw your feelings away!"

Li pouted and whined, "But, how else am I gonna control it?"

The two hesitated, not knowing how to answer.

Dark-brown eyes watched the two, never wavering.

Both boys tensed at the intensity as sweat trickled down their faces.

"AH!" The redhead suddenly shouted, pointing in a direction, "PEOPLE!"

"WHERE?" Li snapped to attention.

The other two sighed in relief before falling over when Li chirped, "There _are_ people~!"

Light-brown and green eyes looked over to the sandbox where a pair of siblings played: a white-haired boy and an orange-haired girl.

Wind blew pass them before a low cackle rang out.

"Kekekeke~!"

The redhead sighed as Tsuna sweatdropped, "Li…?"

The gender-bender had already pranced off towards the box with a kittenish grin.

Shouichi sighed.

"And there he goes…"

* * *

"HIYA~!"

The pair looked up in surprise before the white-haired one grinned back and pumped a fist.

"HI TO THE EXTREME!"

Dark-brown eyes sparkled at the powerful voice.

"I bet that I can beat you."

Grey eyes glinted at the challenge.

"YOSH! KYOUKUGEN NI FAITO!"

"N-Nii-san!" The girl placated, "Please don't fight!"

The brother blinked before laughing, "Don't worry, Kyoko! We're not really fighting!"

Li grinned and nodded, "That's right! We're gonna build-"

He paused dramatically and struck a pose.

"-A SAND-!"

"LI-SAN!"

The dark brunette blinked before pouting at his approaching friends.

"Mou, Shou~! I was in the middle of an awesome declarative!"

Shouichi deadpanned, "Li-san, 'declaration' is the word you're looking for."

Dot. Dot. Do-

"Zip it." Li pouted and crossed his arms, turning away.

The older sibling laughed loudly at their antics before patting Li's shoulder, "Don't worry! I do that too!"

The dark brunette grinned and wrapped an arm around the boy, turning back to the redhead, "See, Shou? I'm not the only one who gets things wrong!"

Green eyes flattened, "I never said you were."

Li stuck out his tongue before a tug on his shirt caught his attention.

Light-brown eyes blinked at the gender-bender before shifting warily to the pair.

"Li, do you know them…?"

Sharp teeth shined in a wide grin.

"Nope~!"

Shouichi sighed at the answer before pushing his glasses up and giving an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry about this weirdo-"

"HEY!" Came the interruption before the redhead finished.

"-here."

A raspberry was the reaction from the dark brunette before he grinned and bowed exaggeratedly.

"HI! I'M SASAKI LI!"

The girl bowed back, respectively, "I'm Sasagawa Kyoko and this is my big brother-"

"SASAGAWA RYOHEI!" The boy finished, punching the air, "NICE MEETING YOU TO THE EXTREME, SASAKI!"

"YOU TOO!" Li grinned, holding out a fist, "I found someone EXTREMELY AWESOME!"

From behind him, Tsuna and Shouichi pouted, "We're not awesome?"

The dark brunette froze at the dejected voices before waving his arms wildly, "Th-That's not it!"

Two pairs of eyes widened dramatically as lower lips trembled, "So we're not…?"

Li shook his head vigorously, "That's not what I meant!"

The boys' eyes misted over as the dark brunette panicked some more, "You are awesome! I mean it! NOOOO~! Don't CRY~!"

As Li continued to ramble, Tsuna and Shouichi grinned to themselves before bursting out laughing.

The dark brunette paused with tears in his eyes before realizing.

A dark cloud hung over him as he huddled under a tree, sniffling.

"I was tricked…"

Kyoko giggled a bit at the scene before holding out a hand, "You're funny, Sasaki-kun."

Dark-brown eyes looked up into golden ones before the background suddenly turned bright and bubbly.

"Kyoko-chan…" Li glomped the girl, "You're so sweet~!"

The others' eyes bugged out at the affectionate gesture before-

WHOOSH!

-Kyoko was abruptly pulled away by Ryohei as Tsuna held onto Li.

Green eyes watched the scene in front before their owner mused lightly, 'That was strange…?'

Kyoko and Li blinked before the dark brunette pouted, "What was that for, Tsuna-Fish?"

Turning red, Tsuna simply looked away and stuttered, "I-I thought I saw a sna-ake…"

"REALLY?" Dark-brown eyes lit up before flickering around, "WHERE?"

Meanwhile, the light redhead asked, "What's wrong, Nii-san?"

The white-haired boy coughed with a blush, "I want to start the contest now!"

Forgetting about his previous interest, Li perked up with a grin, "Yeah! Let's start!"

Both contestants stood their ground and breathed deeply.

"KYOUKUGEN!" Ryohei shouted.

Li cheered, "FAITO!"

Tsuna sighed at the excitable boys before tensing when he felt eyes on him.

Robotically, he turned around before paling at seeing green eyes on him.

Shouichi grabbed the light brunette and crouched down, so that they were conversing secretly, "What's the real reason, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Tsuna slumped over with tears coursing down, 'Why does Shouichi-kun have to be so smart?'

"Well…?" The redhead prodded.

Red dusted against Tsuna's cheeks as he buried his face in his arm, mumbling inaudibly.

Shouichi raised an eyebrow and poked the boy.

Tsuna raised his head slightly though he was still covered.

"I… I don't know…"

The redhead tilted his head with furrowed brows, "You don't…?"

Light-brown eyes trailed to the occupied gender-bender as their owner admitted, "I don't."

Shouichi followed his sight before sweatdropping when Li cackled darkly over his workplace.

"It''s like…" Tsuna continued to mumble, "…my body just moved…"

The redhead didn't say anything before sighing, "Alright."

The light brunette blinked, "Alright…?"

Shouichi smiled and straightened up, "Sometimes, we do things that don't make sense."

He jerked a thumb over at the dark brunette, "Like how Li-san got so intense with the contest."

Tsuna sweatdropped before laughing softly, "Yeah."

The older male held out a hand, "Come on. Let's go check out how he's doing."

The younger grabbed it and nodded with a grin, "Hai!"

* * *

"Li-san…"

Shouichi twitched before the atmosphere became darker.

"What is _that_ supposed to be…?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked as their owner responded innocently.

"A sandcastle."

The redhead facepalmed as Tsuna gave a nervous smile.

The sandcastle, as Li had put it, was simply a mound of sand with a twig serving as its flag and multiple rocks embedded into it.

Next to his, Ryohei's sandcastle wasn't looking all that better, but at least it resembled a castle… of sorts.

"YOSH!" The white-haired boy shouted with an excited grin, "Let the judging begin to the EXTREME!"

He waved over to the three younger ones, "JUDGES!"

Kyoko clapped her hands together and smiled brightly, "This is a bit hard to do, Nii-san! They both look great!"

'WHICH PART LOOKS GREAT?' Tsuna and Shouichi exclaimed in their minds.

"Kyoko…" The brother looked moved as he clenched his fists, "KYOUKUGEN NI GAMBATTE! FAITO!"

"Hai!" The girl chirped as small flowers danced happily around her.

While Ryohei fawned over his sister, Tsuna sighed before scratching his cheek nervously, "Eto…"

Dark-brown eyes looked at the light brunette while sparkling in expectance.

The youngest boy sweatdropped and tensed at the pleading look, "E-Eto…"

They widened dramatically as Li pouted out his lower lip and started, "Tsu-!"

BAM!

Everyone jumped and turned to see the redhead holding a stick that rested against the sandbox.

Shouichi pushed up his glasses, making them glint briefly, before clearing his throat, "The results are as follows!"

"Shou~!" Li interrupted, "You guys didn't even dis-!"

"Ryohei-san's the winner." He ignored the dark brunette and pointed to the oldest one.

The boulder of depression slammed into Li's head as fire roared around the winner.

"GRAAAWR~!" Ryohei shouted as he pumped his fists, "KYOUKUGEN NI KATTA~!"

"Waaa~!" His sister clapped mildly with a bright smile, "Omedetou, Onii-san!"

Ryohei laughed proudly before noticing the dark aura around Li.

"Oi, Sasaki!" The white-haired boy called out, "Subarashii tatakai!"

A metaphorical cat's tail curled dejectedly around the gender-bender as cat ears drooped.

"(Boo hoo…) I lost to the extreme…"

"L-Li…" Tsuna started as he crouched down to the boy, "It's okay. There's always next time!"

Violet will-o'-wisps floated around the dark brunette as he sniffled.

"That's right, Sasaki!" Ryohei supported, clamping a hand on his shoulder, "Let's compete again to the extreme!"

Li simply tended to mushrooms.

Shouichi sighed as Tsuna shot him a pleading look before the redhead started, "Li-san."

Said boy looked sadly over at the redhead.

"You lost."

It was the depression to the fifth power.

"But," He continued, nonplussed, "You tried your hardest."

Li simply huddled into a tighter ball.

A vein irked on the redhead before he sighed exaggeratedly, "I guess I have no choice..."

Everyone watched as Shouichi dug into his pockets.

The rustling of plastic filled their ears though the dark brunette paid no mind.

"A-Ah…" Tsuna stuttered, "A-Arigatou, Shouichi-kun…?"

The sound of tearing was heard as a metaphorical cat's ear twitched.

"Sankyuu, Irie!" Ryohei thanked as Kyoko chimed, "Arigatou, Irie-san!"

Robotically, Li turned around before his jaw dropped at the sight.

The others were munching on a variety of candy from peppermint patties to sour gummies!

Green eyes blinked innocently at the drool that appeared.

"Do you want some?" Shouichi asked, holding out a peppermint, "Li-san?"

The dark brunette gulped before wiping away the saliva and nodding.

The redhead grinned before tossing it over.

Li grabbed the candy before plopping onto the ground, rubbing his cheek against the treat as his lips curved up into a kittenish grin.

Tsuna sweatdropped at the reaction as Shouichi nonchalantly put the candy away.

"I didn't ask before, but…" The light brunette started slowly, "When _did_ you start carrying around candy…?"

The redhead blinked before jerking a thumb over at the preoccupied boy, "Ever since I learned that Li-san's dramatic like that."

Said boy was currently bowing to the treat as sweatdrops appeared.

"I-I see…"

* * *

"YOSH!" Ryohei exclaimed, holding out a fist, "Until next time, Sasaki!"

Li bumped fists with the other with a grin, "You bet, Ryo-senpai!"

The sun shined on them as the two watched each other before-

"BWAHAHAHA~!"

-bursting out in boisterous laughter.

Tsuna looked away with a faint twitch in his brows as Shouichi watched the scene with a sigh.

Kyoko giggled softly, "I'm glad that they're getting along!"

Her smile faltered a bit as she admitted, "I was worried after that happened…"

The boys blinked before looking confusedly at the girl, "After 'that' happened…?"

"Ah!" Kyoko started with a faint blush before shaking her head, "I'm sorry. I was just thinking…"

Green eyes met with light-brown ones briefly but their owners didn't press the uncomfortable girl any further.

Instead, Shouichi smiled and mused aloud, "Li-san seems to get along with a lot of people!"

The girl blinked as Tsuna laughed softly, "Yeah. Li would probably even befriend a tiger!"

Briefly, the image of the gender-bender's attempt at jumping into the circus ring of three tigers flashed across their mind's eye, making a dark cloud hang over them as they thought, 'Which she attempted to do…'

Kyoko looked at the boys curiously before smiling at the light brunette, "Ano, Sawada-kun...?"

Light-brown eyes trailed to the girl and blinked in confusion.

A faint blush rested on Kyoko's cheeks as she fiddled with the end of her dress, "Um… About Sasaki-kun…!"

The light brunette tensed at the name and watched the light redhead while asking slowly, "What about Li…?"

Her cheeks flushed deeper as golden eyes closed before their flustered owner attempted to ask, "U-Um...! Is Sasaki-kun a g-?"

"KYOUKUGEN~!"

The loud shout cut the girl off as everyone jumped and turned to Ryohei.

Suddenly, a dark aura descended upon Tsuna as he twitched.

Ryohei had the gender-bender in a headlock while ruffling the dark locks roughly with a wide grin.

Shouichi sweatdropped and sighed, "Li-san…"

"Sawada-kun…?" Kyoko started, looking a bit worried at the shadowed expression.

The light brunette stalked forward as Shouichi laughed a bit, "Li-san really rubbed off of him!"

Kyoko blinked before jumping a bit when Tsuna tackled the gender-bender out of the other's grip.

But, just as suddenly, he squeaked and jumped away with a blush, stuttering out an apology.

Shouichi grinned as Li glomped the younger boy and cuddled him before musing lightly, "It makes me glad to have met them early…"

Golden eyes blinked in confusion as their owner attempted to question the redhead when-

BAM!

-a gunshot rang through the air causing the group to jump.

Wide eyes locked onto a tall figure whose blonde hair swayed in the wind before the gunner placed her weapon away and started, "Come on, kid, you-!"

She was cut off as a blur tackled her and-

POOF!

-white smoke billowed in the area as-

"I KNEW YOU'D TEACH ME~!"

-Li sang happily before the wisps began to clear.

She was clinging tightly onto the blonde woman who noticeably twitched before attempting to push the gender-bender away.

"Get." Riza grunted, "Off."

A vein throbbed on her temple as her aura crackled dangerously, "You…!"

In the background, everyone tensed and huddled together, praying for the gender-bender's safety.

Her bangs moved with the aura as she glared down at the kid before swiftly bringing out her secret weapon.

KATATATATATATAK!

Rounds of bullets released from an AK-47 as-

"MUAHAHAHA~!"

-she cackled victoriously with Li shaking under a tree, metaphorical tail curled tightly around her leg as her hands covered her ears.

Tsuna made an attempt to go over to the dark brunette but Shouichi held him back with a grave expression, "Don't do it. Besides..."

The light brunette hesitated before the redhead continued, "Li-san's over it already."

Light-brown eyes blinked before a sweatdrop rolled down their owner's face.

The area around the gender-bender had shifted from complete and utter fear to unadulterated admiration with the background bright and bubbly with sparkles dancing around.

Dark-brown eyes sparkled at the still-cackling woman.

The light brunette slumped over as Shouichi patted his back, "You know how Li-san can be."

"GRAAAWR~!" Came the loud roar from Ryohei, startling everyone as they stared at him, "AWESOME TO THE EXTREME~! TRAIN-!"

"NOOOOO~!" Came the cry from Li as she clung onto the twitching woman again, "SHE'S MINE-!"

BONK!

"WHO'S YOURS?" Came the terrifying snarl as the blonde implanted a fist onto the Li's hard head, "I _refuse_ to train you!"

Tears ran down the gender-bender's cheeks, "B-But-!"

"No buts!" Riza snorted before grabbing the girl by the back of her collar as she began to walk out of the park, "Besides!"

Tsuna and Shouichi jumped at the sudden exit and ran after them.

"You have training with Fang-senpai!"

The three froze at the declaration before-

"NOOOOO~!"

POOF!

-white smoke dispersed as Li cried, "I dun wanna to train with Mama~!"

The blonde ignored the gender-bender as the boys sympathized with their best friend.

Tears poured down Li's cheeks as he sniffled.

"I'm gonna die, aren't I?

Pathetic looks were his answer.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"That Sasaki trains to the EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted.

Kyoko looked a bit worried, "I wonder if Sasaki-kun's okay…"

The boy ruffled his sister's hair and laughed, "Don't worry, Kyoko! Sasaki's strong!"

Golden eyes blinked up at the boy before Kyoko smiled and nodded, "Hai!"

"YOSH!" The brother pumped a fist into the air, "I also need to train to the EXTREME!"

"Gambatte ne, Nii-san!" The sister cheered.

"GRAAAWR~!" Ryohei declared excitedly, jogging a bit ahead, "KYOUKUGEN~!"

Kyoko giggled a bit and followed faithfully before-

"Ah!"

-she startled.

"I didn't finish asking Sawada-kun!"

She paused and looked in the direction the four had went before sighing.

"Oh well."

Kyoko began to job after her brother.

"After all."

She slowed a little and looked up at the blue sky with a smile.

"Sasaki-kun will still be Sasaki-kun, boy _or_ girl."

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

Hazel-green eyes watched the scene as their owner sweatdropped.

"Fang-senpai…"

The blonde flinched a bit when-

THUMP!

"IYADA~!"

-a cry rang out as a knife embedded into a wall before sighing when-

THUMP!

-another knife ripped through as its master cackled.

"KEKEKEKE~!"

THUMP!

A third knife was thrown skillfully as a shaking brunette whimpered fearfully, "L-Li…!"

THUMP!

Came the sound of one last blade as the redhead squeaked, "Li-san…!"

Said boy twitched before tears ran down his face.

The raven-haired woman sashayed out of the room, pausing only to smirk, "That's all... for _now_."

Li slumped, or he would have if it weren't for the knives holding him up.

Tsuna and Shouichi hurried to him and attempted to pull out the weapons embedded in his clothes.

Leaning against the doorway, Riza sighed and shook her head, grumbling.

"I was just kidding about the training."

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

x3 Ryohei and Kyoko appeared~! ^o^

I tried to emphasize their competitive natures a bit; hopefully, it worked out that way... ._.'

Anyway, I uploaded a picture of Riza so go check it out! ;D

Also, some of you may have already checked it out, but (for those who haven't) I've created two new stories:

(1) _Transcending Dreams_ was really just a random idea that popped into mind. Here's the summary: _When Tsuna accidentally finds himself in a world where he exists as a form of entertainment, what is he to think? Not only that, but he meets the characters of a manga that's famous in his world! Just what is reality!_ I may or may not decide to update this one. *shrugs*

(2) _The Hilarity of 74_ was created from my reviews of (the awesomesauce) mangarox14's story _Dear 59-kun_ (GO CHECK IT OUT!). My reviews started out as simply reviews, but somewhere along the line, it started to turn into a short skits that can be turned into a FanFiction. Thus, I created THo74 and dedicated it to mangarox14 'cause my love inspired me~! *hearts* -^^- And, just as a warning, there's no real storyline. It's purely crack. Beware. x3

In addition to that, I caution you that there are cursing and some sexual implications in those stories. No lemons or limes, but there are... implications. And violence. xD That's why the ratings are M.

Lastly:

THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) URUSAI TTE BA! - YOU'RE NOISY!

(2) Non mi place il latte~! - I don't like milk~!

(3) Berlo! - Drink it!

(4) Mi fa male, Mama... - It hurts, Mama...

(5) TASUKETE~! - HELP ME~!

(6) IYADA! ZETTAI IYADA! - NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!

(7) YOSH! KYOUKUGEN NI FAITO! - ALRIGHT! FIGHT TO THE EXTREME!

(8) Hai! - Yeah!

(9) KYOUKUGEN NI GAMBATTE! - TRY TO THE EXTREME!

(10) KYOUKUGEN NI KATTA~! - I WON TO THE EXTREME~!

(11) Omedetou, Onii-san! - Congratulations, Big Brother!

(12) Subarashii tatakai! - Great fight!

(13) Arigatou/Sankyuu - Thank You

**

* * *

Preview:**

"Come on, Tsuna-Fish~!" A dark brunette chirped, trying to tug the other brunette forward.

The younger squeaked and dug his heels into the floor, shaking his head vigorously, "N-No, thank you."

"Why not?" The former pouted, "We came all this way, already!"

Still, the other shook his head, earning him a whine.

"But, this place is really cool~!"


	33. Event 25: It's So Cool! Literally!

Date: Saturday, October 02, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 25: It's So Cool! Literally!_

"YATTA~!" A dark brunette cheered as his breath came out in small puffs, "IT'S FINALLY COLD~!"

Dark-brown eyes glittered at the sight of the ice-covered floor and of people enjoying themselves both on the ice and outside of it. Li was bundled up in a relatively thick jacket, complete with a scarf, earmuffs and boots. His cheeks were flushed from the low temperature, but his grin was as bright as ever.

From behind him, a light brunette sweatdropped before deadpanning, "Li, that's 'cause we're inside."

Dot. Dot. Dot.

"So...?" The former pouted with crossed arms.

A sigh from the latter as he shook his head, "Never mind..."

The light brunette shivered a bit and rubbed his mitten-clad hands together as his light-brown eyes roamed around the area. He shied a bit back as he eyed the sight of people gliding easily across the ice before perking up at the surrounding seats.

Dark-brown eyes sparkled at Tsuna's expression as lips curled up in a kittenish grin before their owner grabbed the other boy and dragged him over to the large ice rink.

"Come on, Tsuna-Fish~!" The dark brunette chirped, interlacing their fingers, "Let's skate~!"

Tsuna's eyes widened dramatically as a deep blush blossomed over his cheeks and he squeaked, "LI!"

Digging his heels into the floor, the younger boy shook his head rapidly and whimpered, "N-No, thank you."

The older boy paused and blinked at the younger, "Why not? We came all the way here, already."

Still, Tsuna shook his head and started to pull away, "I don't want to skate."

Dark-brown eyes widened before their owner frowned with furrowed brows, "But, this place is really cool!"

The light brunette flinched at the dejected look but continued to back away, "I-I'd rather not…"

He froze as Li's lower lip trembled.

Brows furrowed as wide dark-brown eyes shimmered, liquid began to build.

"_HIIIII~_!" He panicked, "I-I'll still be here, Li! S-So, don't cry!"

Tsuna could practically see the drooped cat-ears and the tail curled between the other's legs before sweating nervously.

"I promise!" The light brunette started while waving his arms around frantically, "I'll be right here in the stands and-!"

"But, I want you besides me…"

The younger boy stopped at the soft interruption and stared with wide eyes.

"W-What?" He managed to croak out.

Had he heard right?

But, he wasn't graced a reply as Li suddenly perked up and ran towards an open counter, shouting, "FOOD~!"

The light brunette sighed at the bubbles sparkling in the bright background.

Guess not…

He placed a hand over his heart as his heart thumped.

What was this feeling…?

A frown graced his lips as his fingers cluched at the fabric of his shirt.

It hurts.

Light-brown eyes traveled to Li as he talked excitedly with a worker.

Why did Li seem so far away?

They closed as the image of the dark brunette's back flashed across his mind.

Doki doki!

Tsuna bit the bottom of his lips as his eyes opened dully.

Li wouldn't leave… Right…?

"Tsuna~!" A warmth barreled into him, making the boy squeak as he fell onto his bottom.

The light brunette blinked rapidly before staring wide-eyed as his vision was filled with yellow.

The scent of salt and butter filled his nose.

"It's _popcorn_!" Li chirped happily from his seat on the other's lap, "Try it!"

Light-brown eyes blinked at the snack before hesitating, "But, it's yours…"

A pout graced the dark brunette's lips again before he plucked a popcorn from the bag and pressed it against the other's lips.

"Eat it." He commanded with a faux-stern look.

Tsuna blinked before a light blush dusted across his cheeks, "Okay…"

Opening his mouth, the light brunette allowed the other boy to feed him.

Li grinned as the younger boy complied to his wishes before a glint entered his eyes.

Just as the last of the popcorn disappeared into the light brunette's stomach, a low cackle rang from the dark brunette.

"Kekekeke~!"

Tsuna froze, wide-eyed, as he stared at the shadowed face and fanged grin on his best friend's face, "L-Li…?"

"You ate it~!" Came the sing-song tone of Li's voice as said boy lightly pinched Tsuna's cheeks, "Now you owe me~!"

A pan of realization dropped.

"_SOU NAAA~!_"

* * *

"Huu…"

Tears coursed down his cherubic face as Tsuna clung onto the railing of the ice rink, legs shaking.

"I don't want to skate…"

Li huffed at the stationary position of his best friend before tugging on him.

The boy didn't budge.

Cheeks puffed out briefly before the dark brunette whined, "Tsuna~! Skate _with_ me~!"

Fluffy brown locks flew as Tsuna shook his head rapidly and clung onto his support tighter.

Li sulked, "But you owe me…"

A dark aura hovered around the light brunette as he shouted in his mind, 'You tricked me!'

Dark-brown eyes watered as the gender-bender furrowed his brows, "Or, are you lying?"

A heavy cloud hung over the younger boy as Li's lower lip trembled, 'Why me…?'

But, with a sigh, Tsuna began to release his grip as the dark brunette perked up.

"YAY~!" He cheered while throwing up his arms, "Tsuna, you-!"

Thump!

Dark-brown eyes blinked before a sweatdrop appeared on the gender-bender.

"Tsuna…" Li started slowly as he looked over the boy, "Could it be that you…?"

A bright blush settled onto the light brunette's cheeks as he looked away and gave a minuscule nod.

The dark brunette tilted his head slightly before grinning with a soft laugh.

"Silly Tsuna-Fish!" He said, holding out a hand, "I'm not going to leave you behind!"

Light-brown eyes trailed back to the gender-bender as Tsuna whispered, "Really…?"

Li sighed through his nose silently with a grin, "Really."

A small hand fit into a slightly larger one as Li pulled Tsuna to his feet and steadied him on the ice.

"Now, then…" The gender-bender winked, "Let's skate!"

* * *

"Right…"

A skate slid forward as it's opposite slid back.

"Left…"

The parallel skates followed the direction.

"Right…"

Hands held onto another, gently but firmly.

"Left…"

The two brunettes skated basic steps along the railing, ignoring all others around them.

A gentle smile alit the darker one's lips as he gazed softly at the determined face of the other.

The furrowing of his brows in concentration… the narrowing of his eyes in sharp focus… the pursing of his lips as he attempted every step… A warm feeling glowed within the gender-bender as he grinned.

"See!" The former exclaimed, never letting go, "You're getting the hang of it!"

They slowed to a stop as light-brown eyes blinked before their owner blushed.

He tightened his grip on the other's hands before whispering, "Only 'cause I have you, Li."

Cat-ears perked up as Li grinned before glomping the other, "You're so CUTE, Tsuna-Fish~!"

"WHOA~!"

THUMP!

POOF!

Tsuna twitched at the ice floor and warm weight before pushing himself up, rubbing the back of his head.

A kittenish grin played on Li's lips as she rubbed cheeks with the other, "And kind and adorable and sweet and-!"

A sweatdrop rolled down the light brunette's face as he sighed.

'She's rambling again.'

A small smile graced his lips as his eyes softened.

'But…'

Light-brown orbs closed as Tsuna leaned against the warmth.

'I'm glad that she's by my side.'

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"That was FUN!" Li chirped as she returned the skates, thanking the workers briefly.

Tsuna smiled brightly at his best friend's cheerful expression, "Un!"

The dark brunette grinned, walking towards the exit with her hands behind her back, "We should do this again, na?"

Light-brown eyes closed as Tsuna's smile widened with a faint blush, "Hai-!"

BONK!

Thump!

"TS-TSUNA?" Li cried out in shock, crouching down to the fallen brunette.

A bump grew on his forehead as his eyes swirled dizzily.

"TSUNA!" The dark brunette panicked, shaking the boy vigorously, "TSUNA! WAKE UP!"

"H-Hoi…" Came the weak cry.

Dark-brown eyes widened immensely as arms flailed, "M-MEDIC! SOMEONE CALL THE MEDIC!"

"Wait..." She froze as his cute soul made itself know, "NOOOOO~!"

Li clutched the male to her chest with waterfalls pouring down her face.

"KAMI-SAMA~! SOMEONE CALL KAMI-SAMA~!"

In the background, bystanders sweatdropped and flapped their hands.

"H-Hey, you're choking him."

The foam and swirly eyes went unnoticed as she continued to cry.

"DON'T LEAVE ME, TSUNA-FIIIIISH~!"

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

Just a short, fluffy chapter between Li and Tsuna. ^o^

I really shouldn't be focusing my attention on this, especially since I have two oral presentations due for college, but this idea swam in my mind until I put it down. -.-'

Oh well. *shrugs* At least the readers are happy! ^.~ (I hope... ._.')

THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) YATTA~! - HOORAY~!

(2) SOU NAAA~! - NO WAAAY~!

(3) Kami-sama - God/Goddess/etc.

**

* * *

Preview: (Actually, it's more of a heads-up...)**

The next chapter, I want to go a bit more in depth with Fang's background (via flashbacks), so the only time there's going to be interaction between the trio is in the the extended endings. I apologize in advance to anyone who find the next chapter boring. (SORRY!) But, don't worry! The chapter after the next one will re-focus on the trio's adventure! I'll try to put them up on the same day so those who weren't satisfied with the background filler-chapter will be satisfied! (I hope.)


	34. Event 26: Gentle As Snow, Sharp as Fangs

Date: Friday, October 07, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 26: Gentle As Snowfall, Sharp as Fangs._

* * *

The Sasaki family's home was quiet as a black-haired woman laid on the living room's couch.

The youngest of the household, Li, was out playing with her friends at the park.

The first child, Kiyoshi, was (of course) seeking out the company of Li whenever possible.

The man of the household, Daisuke, was out shopping for that night's dinner.

It was one of the few times when the woman, Xue Fang, would have the entire house to herself.

A sigh was released by Fang as she closed her eyes, beginning to drift off.

Her vision darkened before images soon flowed.

_"Wo de nu er… (My daughter…)" A life-worn man whispered with sad eyes._

_His calloused fingers gently brushed away the black bangs that shadowed the girl's face._

_"Dui bu qi… (I'm sorry…)" His voice was hoarse and cracked._

_Tears slid down his weary face, "Wo zhen de hen baoqian… (I'm so sorry…)"_

_Wide dark-brown eyes gazed at the man as small hands reached out, "Baba…! (Father…!)"_

_But, as those innocent hands neared, he disappeared._

_A piercing scream…_

_Then, red._

Thin brows furrowed at the memory as another replaced it.

_The cold rain pelted down, soaking into a shivering bundle._

_Dirty black tangles fell limp over thin shoulders._

_Footsteps could be heard walking towards her._

_A shadow casted upon her small body._

_The child lifted her head._

_Steely eyes locked with dull ones._

_The blonde man crouched down and held out his hand._

_"Lo sono Dante De Luca. (I am Dante De Luca.)"_

_The girl blinked slowly before whispering, "Baba…?"_

_Blue eyes widened as pupils constricted._

_They dulled and became conflicted before closing tightly._

_A moment of tense silence descended upon them._

_He swallowed thickly before bowing his head._

_Blonde locks shadowed his face._

_The man shifted before his eyes reopened in a soft gaze._

_"Si… Lo sono tuo Papa. (Yes… I am your Papa.)"_

A soft sigh was exhaled as Fang shifted to a better position.

_Dante stared at the child incredulously before whispering._

_"Sei un regazzo…? (You're a boy…?)"_

_Small hands shook as wide eyes stared back._

_The child gulped before nodding hesitantly._

_Blue eyes softened before the man sighed._

_"Lo vedo… (I see…)"_

_A small smile graced his lips before he ruffled the black locks._

_"Cosi finalmente apparso. (It finally appeared.)"_

_A sparkle entered the man's eyes as he locked eyes with her._

_"Ii vostro genere-flessione capacita. (Your gender-bending ability.)"_

A small smile graced Fang's lips as she relaxed into her nap.

_"Che cosa stai facendo…? (What are you doing…?)"_

_A thin brow twitched irritatedly as dark-brown eyes gazed at the greying man._

_Pink sparkles were emitted as he chortled._

_"O-ho ho ho ho~!"_

_A vein throbbed before a slipper smacked into the man's face._

_"Rispondi! (Answer me!)"_

_Tears coursed down the aging face as the man sulked._

_"Stavo facendoti una torta… (I was making you a cake…)"_

_The gender-bender startled, "Una torta? (A cake?)"_

_POOF!_

_Pink dusted lightly across the child's cheeks at the honesty, "P-Perche? (W-Why?)"_

_Lips curled up at the flustered appeared before the man attempted to glomp her-_

_"CARINA~! (CUTE~!)"_

_BAM!_

_-but ended in another slipper to the face._

Canines flashed in a light smirk before the smile tipped into a frown.

_"Papa."_

_Dark-brown eyes stared resolutely into blue ones._

_"Cosa sta succedendo? (What's going on?)"_

_The greying man furrowed his brows, looking reluctant._

_But, he couldn't hide the bloodied corpse from her sharp eyes._

_Nor, could he lie to his daughter - adopted or not._

Fang shivered and huddled into a tight ball.

_Red blood stained her hands as dark-brown eyes gazed blankly at the bleeding body._

_The seventeen-year-old stepped over the corpse and tucked her knives away before pausing._

_Crouching down, she wiped her hands on the crisscrossing emblem of her victim's stained clothes._

_Suddenly, pain exploded in her shoulder._

_A low hiss as a knife glinted in the moonlight and embedded itself into the hidden gunner._

_Slowly, the redness began to spread onto her shirt._

_She clutched at the wound as footsteps became prevalent._

_Retrieving her knife, the young woman leapt towards the open window, disappearing into the star-filled night._

A bead of sweat trickled down her face as she shifted her position.

_Breathing heavily, the young woman leaned against the wall of a seemingly empty room._

_She peered out the window from her safe spot._

_Even in the darkness, she could see several shadows flicker through the street because of their white outfits._

_The sound of shuffling caught her attention as she grabbed a knife and threw it._

_Thunk!_

_The light flickered open, revealing a nervously smiling young man with spiky dark-brown hair._

_"Ano…" He started before continuing on with an accent, "Chi- (Who-)"_

_He cut himself off as his grey eyes widened, "Stai male! (You're hurt!)"_

_The woman tensed as he suddenly appeared in front of her._

_His warm breath ghosted against her cold cheek._

_A soft hand caressed the wound._

A faint pink color dusted across her cheeks as Fang relaxed again.

_"Eh? Sei caduto? (You fell?)"_

_Wide grey eyes stared into narrow dark-brown ones before the male scratched the side of his face._

_"L-Lo vedo… (I see…)" He frowned but didn't question any further._

_Ruffling his spiky brown hair, he stood up, walking towards the door, "Prendo qualcosa da mangiare-! (I'll get some food-!)"_

_Thunk!_

_"E-Eto…" A sweatdrop slid down his face, "Perche-? (Why-?)"_

_"Chi sei tu? (Who are you?)" The woman cut in harshly, "Perche mi aiuta? (Why did you help me?)"_

_He blinked before a bright smile appeared on his lips, "Sono Sasa-Ah! Voglio dire Daisuke Sasaki! (I'm Sasa-Ah! I mean Daisuke Sasaki!)"_

_"Giapponese…? (Japanese…?)' Came the thought as her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Perche mi aiuta? (Why did you help me?)"_

_The man blinked at the question before smiling._

_"Perche… (Because…)" Grey eyes softened, "Siete stati male. (You were hurt.)"_

Lips twitched as the woman mumbled incoherently.

_"Lo non approvo. (I don't approve.)" The aging man grunted while crossing his arms._

_Dark-brown eyes narrowed, "Lo sto facendo. (I'm doing it.)"_

_"No, non lo sei. (No, you're not.)" Dante scowled._

_"Per fare cosa? (Doing what?)" Daisuke asked, popping up from behind._

_SHING!_

_A lance hit two knives as father and daughter clashed blades._

_Daisuke stood in between them as several strands of hair drifted down._

_Tears coursed down the younger man's face as he reverted to his native language, "Shite kudasai~! (Please stop~!)"_

_Both assassins narrowed their eyes at the command as a dark aura surrounded them._

_Fang clicked her tongue, but didn't retract her weapons as she stared her father down, stating firmly._

_"Mi sposero Daisuke. (I will marry Daisuke.)"_

_THUMP!_

_Two sweatdrops fell._

Lips curled up in a similar cat-like grin as a purr rumbled in her throat.

_"Tadaima~! (I'm home~!)" Daisuke chirped happily, changing his shoes to slippers._

_"Okaeri. (Welcome home.)" Fang responded, poking her head out of the kitchen with an epically failed dish in hand._

_A sweatdrop rolled down the man's face as he smiled, "Were you cooking…?"_

_A bright smile appeared of the woman's lips as she showed him the smoking blackness, "I made Kare Raisu (Curry Rice)!"_

_Bubbles sparkled happily in the bright background behind her._

_"I-I see…" Daisuke chuckled before freezing at the sight of his slumped over son, "K-Kiyoshi?"_

_The foaming boy twitched to indicate that he was still alive before groaning and shifting to a better position._

_His lips wobbled pathetically as Kiyoshi stared at the man with wide watery eyes, "O-Otou-san… (Father...)"_

_Tears coursed down as he whimpered, "T-Tasukete~! (S-Save me~!)"_

_Grey eyes flickered between his happy wife and his poisoned son before their owner ruffled his hair._

_"I think that I should cook from now on…"_

A pout flickered over the woman's lips before her expression contorted.

_A white quarter mask glinted in the moonlight, covering the right eye, as its wearer chuckled lowly._

_"How interesting."_

_Fang grunted, bringing up a knife to block the strike to her head before glaring into the visible green eye of her enemy._

_"You can keep up with my attacks."_

_He continued to muse as his grip tightened on the polished black cane._

_"But, for how long, I wonder?"_

_The tip caught Fang in the chin and knocked her backwards though she twisted in the air and skidded on her feet._

_The silver dog-head glinted as the cane swung down but Fang managed to block it with a knife before thrusted her other knife towards his abdomen._

_The blade cut through fabric, but not skin, as the masked man leapt away just in time._

_"Oh~?" Came the amused voice, "Looks like the cat's got claws~!"_

_Fang clicked her tongue in irritation before flicking her wrist towards him._

_He dodged the knife before his left eye widened._

_Red splashed into the air as a silver blade dug into the man's right shoulder._

_Fang smirked before coughing when the cane slammed into her abdomen._

_She backed away and clutched at it with a glare._

_The man hissed, gingerly holding his wound, before light shined in his vision._

_He leapt away in time as a lance embedded itself into where he was standing._

_His green eye glared at the interloper before widening, "You-! You're Dante De Luca!"_

_The bald head shined in the moonlight as the Italian man lifted his lance onto his shoulder and fiddled with his mustache, "That would be correct."_

_The masked man scowled, briefly looking over at Fang, "So there's a connection…"_

_A smirk played on his lips, "That's fine with me."_

_He began to fade into the shadows, "Just remember…"_

_His voice echoed through the silent night._

_"Karma always comes 'round."_

"Tadaima~!" A cheerful voice rang through the quiet house.

Dark-brown eyes fluttered open before their owner sat up and stretched with a small smile.

"Okaeri, Daisuke."

A spiky head popped into the living room before the man flashed a smile and stepped in.

"Taking a nap?"

The woman leaned against the back of the couch with a small smirk, "_Was_ taking a nap."

Grey eyes blinked before their owner mused worriedly, "Did I wake you?"

Long black locks swayed as Fang shook her head, "No."

Daisuke walked over and placed the grocery bags on the low table before sitting next to his wife.

He played with her hair before leaning his forehead against hers, "Were you remembering?"

She blinked before smiling with a sigh, "You can always tell, can't you?"

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, "If I couldn't, then I wouldn't be a very good husband, now would I?"

Fang rolled her eyes at the playful remark, but leaned against the warmth, "I was remembering him…"

Grey eyes widened briefly before narrowing as his embrace tightened, "I see…"

A moment of silence reigned over them before Daisuke smiled, whipping out random things, "Want to play the Game?"

A sweatdrop rolled down Fang's face at the bright background and happy bubbles floating around her husband before she sighed with a smile, "Sure."

With that, a large hand gripped onto slender ones as the man dragged his woman downstairs.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Tadaima~!" A dark brunette cheered happily as she slammed open the door.

Crack!

A redhead sweatdropped, "Li-san, one of these days, you'll break it…"

Li blinked, not noticing the hole in the wall, "Huh? Break what, Shou?"

Shouichi sighed and shook his head, "Never mind…"

Dark-brown eyes blinked before looking curiously at the light brunette, "Ne, Tsuna-Fish, what's Shou talking about?"

Tsuna gave a sheepish smile, "W-Well…"

"XIAO LI~!"

A blur barreled the girl over.

Thump!

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE MEEEEE~?"

The oldest male rubbed his cheeks against his sister's with tears pouring down his face.

"I WAS ALL LONELY AND-!"

SLAM!

A knee made friendly with the crying boy's stomach before he fell over and twitched sporadically.

A vein throbbed on Li's temple as she crossed her arms, "Baka Kiyoshi, don't tackle me."

Kiyoshi sniffled, "But, I was glomping you…"

"Tch." Came the curt response before Li shot a bright smile at her friends, "Ready for some grub?"

They could only sweatdrop at the contrast of emotions, but before they could respond, Kiyoshi whimpered out.

"I don't think Otou-san made dinner yet."

Li held up a shaking fist as her bangs shadowed her face, "What. Was. That…?"

Flames of irritation bursted forth from her tiny body and crackled dangerously.

"A-Ah, Li-san!" Shouichi panicked as he blocked her vision of the sniffling male, "Please, wait!"

The flames disappeared though a thin brow still twitched.

Tsuna gently tugged on her hand with a nervous expression, "L-Let's just go find Daisuke-san, okay?"

Li stared at her two best friends for a moment before sighing, "Okay…"

They sighed as Kiyoshi huddled in a corner with a depressed aura and violet will-o'-wisps floating around him mockingly.

"Why does Xiao Li like _them_ more than _me_? We're _siblings_, aren't we? What am I doing _wrong_, Ojii-san~? (Boo hoo~!)"

Li simply ignored him and walked away, calling out, "Papa~! Where are you~? (I'm-) _We're_ HUNGRY!"

Meanwhile, Shouichi and Tsuna followed with sweatdrops.

* * *

Thunk.

Li perked up at the sound and ran forward, "I think that's Mama!"

Thunk.

Tsuna froze as Shouichi paled, "Y-You mean, F-Fang-s-san…?"

Thunk.

Dark-brown eyes blinked before their owner tilted her head slightly, "Of course! It's not like I have any other Mama!"

Thunk.

"DAMN IT! THAT'S THE LAST ONE!"

The boys jumped and clung onto each other as Li flattened out her expression.

"… She must've ran out of knives…"

A chill ran up the boys' spine as Li walked forward and pushed open the door.

The tall woman stood with her back to them.

The boys gulped.

Her long black hair had fallen out of its ponytail and shadowed her face as she turned to them slowly.

Waterfalls of sweat poured down them.

All around her were pieces of shattered masks, tainted ripped fabrics and strange puddles of red liquid…

Dot. Dot. Dot.

THUMP!

Dark-brown eyes blinked as Li glanced over at her friends.

"Ah? They fainted?"

Fang ran her hands through her hair and raised a brow, "What's with them?"

"Not sure, but it's been a while…" Li said, poking her friends before shrugging, "Anyway! Were you playing Charades with Papa, again?"

A soft chuckle rang out as said male popped out from behind Fang, "No, Kyuu-chan, we were playing the Game."

The girl blinked again, "The Game…?"

Suddenly, a lightbulb flashed over her head as Li slapped a fist onto a palm, "Oh! You mean making those weird masks and then using them as target practice, right?"

"That's right!" Daisuke chirped, patting the similar brown locks.

"Hm~ Ja!" Li started, "Are you done yet?"

Grey eyes blinked before their owner nodded, "Yes, we just finished."

Lips curled up in a kittenish grin, "Then, can we eat now?"

A sweatdrop rolled down his face as Daisuke gave an apologetic smile, "Gomen ne, Kyuu-chan. I haven't started on dinner yet."

Shoulders slumped as disappointment was evident on the girl's face.

Fang raised an eyebrow before shrugging and walking out, "I'll cook-!"

"NO!" Came the loud interruption.

The woman paused in mid-step as a brow twitched before she turned to the man and girl, gritting out slowly, "What. Was. That…?"

The duo glanced at one another before giving a nervous smile, "Err… We'd like to help…?"

Eyes flashed as Fang smirked, "That's what I thought."

That night, a grey-eyed man, a gender-bending brunette and two innocent boys got food poisoning despite the former two's best efforts.

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

"Xiao Li~!" Kiyoshi cooed as he hovered over the girl, "Don't worry~! I'll take care of you~!"

Li merely groaned and buried herself in her blanket-cocoon, hiding from her brother.

With her back turned, she never saw the victorious grins and thumbs-up shared between son and mother as they tended to their beloveds.

Nor did she hear the low cackle, "That's for cracking my wall."

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

After musing on it, I figured that it's probably easier to understand everything if I left the translation right next to the dialogue.

*scratches head* Um... I realized that the extended ending really was extended? *nervous laugh* I debated whether or not I should've separated it but, when I tried separating it, it felt choppy to me, so I left it as is.

Um... What else...? *muses* Ah.

I uploaded another picture for anyone who has yet to see it. It's of Li and Kyouya during Teen Years. I should've darkened Kyouya's hair, but I was too lazy too. *shrugs*

Oh well.

THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

Found throughout the entire story.

**

* * *

**

**Preview: **

Shichigosan is a special day in Japan that celebrates 3- and 7-year-old girls and 3- and 5-year-old boys. As time passes, however, people are less inclined to hold so strictly to the traditions and, thus, celebrate the day any year within the age gap. So, what'll happen when the trio celebrates the holiday together? And, what's this? A hallucination? Maybe Li shouldn't have eaten that candy...


	35. Event 27: Sweet Bliss

Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 27: Sweet Bliss._

* * *

"Nya~!" A dark brunette wriggled around with hands on his cheek, "You look so cute, Tsuna-Fish~!"

The light brunette sweatdropped before sulking, "I don't want to be cute…"

A redhead laughed softly, patting Tsuna's shoulder, "Better than being called ugly."

Tsuna sighed, slumping over, "I guess…"

The gender-bender glomped the youngest boy, rubbing cheeks, "Don't worry, Tsuna-Fish! You'll always be awesome in my eyes~!"

A blush blossomed on the boy's cheeks, "D-Don't say things like that, Li!"

His metaphorical cat's tail swished gently behind him as the gender-bender gave a kittenish grin, "Aw~ Are you embarrassed Tsuna-Fish?"

"A-Am not!" Came the indignant reply before it was muffled by the hug.

Shouichi shook his head before prying the dark brunette off of the other, "Come on, Li-san, don't dirty his kimono."

Li pouted, but relented his grip before prancing around in front, "Still~! Tsuna's so cute~!"

Green eyes rolled upwards before their owner sighed, "You've said that ten times before."

"Nuh uh!" Li retorted while crossing his arms, "I only said it nine times!"

Sweatdrops rolled down the redhead before he shrugged, "So I was one off."

Li grinned before resuming to fawn over the light brunette who fidgeted with his elaborate orange outfit.

"D-Do I really have to wear this…?" Tsuna whimpered, "I don't want to go anymore…"

A pout graced the dark brunette's lips again before he dragged the other brunette closer, "It's a holiday, Tsuna! We're gonna have FUN!"

Shouichi chuckled a bit as Tsuna made a face and whined, "I can't have fun in a kimono~!"

The light brunette pulled up the outfit so as to not trip and grumbled, "Besides, I look girly…"

Li blinked and tilted his head, looking the boy over again, "You do…?"

Tsuna crossed his arms and nodded with a frown, "Why can't I wear a hakama like you guys?"

The question went over the other two as the dark brunette looked over at the redhead, "Ne, ne, Shou! Does Tsuna look girly to you?"

Shouichi blinked back and looked the youngest one over before raising a brow, "Is he supposed to?"

"See!" Came the chirp as Li slung an arm over the smallest boy's shoulders, "You don't look girly!"

'He didn't really answer!' Came the silent cry in Tsuna's mind before he groaned and slumped over, "I give…"

Dark-brown eyes shined before their owner rubbed cheeks with the other, "Now, now! You can't be tired! After all, the sun's still up!"

Tsuna deadpanned, "What does the sun have to do with anything?"

Li grinned and released his grip, twirling around with his arms in the air to embrace the sky, "Since the sun's all bright and shiny, it's full of energy!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

The light brunette slumped over, ruffling his hair, "I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Li laughed before giving a thumbs-up, "Neither do I! I just took that from Takeshi!"

Tsuna paused before looking up at the gender-bender from his crouch, "Takeshi…?"

The dark brunette pumped her fists in a very Ryohei-manner and cheered, "Yup, yup! Takeshi's this baseball-fan I met! He's really cool, but I don't understand his logic…"

He trailed off and sweatdropped before waving his arms frantically, "B-But, he's still cool! He's always so happy and carefree!"

As Li continued to list Takeshi's good points, a dark aura hung over the light brunette, 'Li found someone cool…'

'Someone better than me...' Light-brown eyes dulled as Tsuna continued to sulk, 'After all, I'm still Dame-Tsuna...'

A pat brought the boy out of his depressed state as he looked up into green eyes.

Shouichi crouched down besides Tsuna and whispered secretly, "You know that Li-san likes you the best, right?"

Red blossomed over his cheeks as the light brunette shook his head frantically, "Th-That's not true! Li also likes you, Shouichi-kun!"

The redhead sighed with a smile before ruffling the light-brown hair, "I know Li-san likes me, but you two share something… different?"

Shouichi paused and hummed to himself, tapping his lips softly, as he mused on the vocabulary.

Tsuna blinked and watched as green eyes looked over to the gender-bender who was imitating a baseball player.

"Shouichi-kun…" The youngest started slowly, "What do you mean by 'different'…?"

The redhead looked back before shrugging with a smile and getting up, "You'll figure it out, Tsunayoshi-kun!"

He nearly fell over but straightened up, "Sh-Shouichi-kun-!"

The redhead merely laughed and waved off the attempts.

Suddenly, metaphorical cat ears popped up in between them as Li grinned kittenishly, "What's up?"

"HIIIII!" Came the surprised scream from Tsuna as Shouichi jumped a bit.

A vein irked on the latter as he tugged on the dark brunette's cheeks, "Li-san! Stop being all ninja-like!"

"Da~atte~!" Li waved his arms frantically and whined, "I'm NOT a ninja~!"

Shouichi released his grip, making Li whimper and rub at his cheeks, before pushing up his glasses.

"Li-san…" He started as the lens glinted in the light before pointing dramatically at the gender-bender, "You are a ninja!"

"Am not!" Came the quick retort.

"Ano…" Tsuna started flatly, but it was too late as they launched into an argument.

"You're good at throwing weapons!"

"Pirates can throw things and besides, I like to swim!"

"Pirates _sail_ and besides, ninjas can also swim!"

"Ninjas are always creeping in the shadows!"

"Which means that they're silent and you're always randomly popping up from nowhere!"

"Do not! I come from somewhere! Like, I was right there and now I'm here!"

"But, no one can ever tell!"

"That's 'cause no one pays attention!"

"I was keeping an eye out, but I _still_ didn't see you!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

A cloud of depression hovered over the dark brunette as the redhead grinned victoriously.

The metaphorical cat's tail trailed in circles on the floor as Tsuna sweatdropped at Shouichi's sad attempt of a maniacal laugh.

He weakly flapped a hand, "Ano…"

Shouichi paused before coughing in embarrassment with a blush, "Yes, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Tsuna sighed before straightening up and pointing at the rapidly growing crowd near the Shinto Shrine, "Weren't we going to go…?"

Shouichi blinked before giving a sheepish grin, "A-Aa… Sorry, I got distracted."

The light brunette sighed before smiling nervously, "What should we do about Li…?"

The dark brunette poked at the growing mushrooms under a tree.

The redhead sweatddropped before digging into his pockets and pulling out a wrapped candy.

He crinkled the plastic, making the gender-bender perk up and look expectantly at him.

Green eyes rolled at the obvious reaction before he assumed a throwing stance.

"GO FETCH!"

A blur passed him, bounding off towards the distancing candy, as Shouichi dusted off his hands and smiled at the light brunette, "Let's go, Tsunayoshi-kun!"

"A-Aa…" Came the reply before Tsuna twitched and thought.

'They never did answer me...'

* * *

Standing in front of the entrance, the three bowed respectively before entering.

The temple was large and tranquil despite the number of people visiting on that day.

Approaching the shrine of kami-sama, Shouichi rang the bell as Li dropped several coins into the donation box.

The three bowed briefly before clapping their hands twice and placing the praying stance near their hearts as they bowed again.

They stayed bowed as Shouichi murmured softly, "Please bless our dearest friend."

Heat rested on the boy's cheeks before he flustered at Li's happy add-on.

"And curse anyone who hurts him!"

"L-Li!" Tsuna hissed, elbowing the gender-bender when several visitors gave them a strange look.

Dark-brown eyes blinked (not) innocently, "What?"

The light brunette sighed in exasperation, "You're gonna get in trouble like that…"

Li merely grinned before pouting when the redhead knocked her head, "What was that for, Shou~?"

Shouichi shrugged, "Maybe you're rubbing off on me?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked before being shadowed by bangs as Li cackled, "Yes~! I shall spread my awesomeness~!"

Tsuna sweatdropped before Shouichi slung an arm over his shoulders and steered him out, whispering, "Let's go before we get kicked out."

That said, they started tip-toeing away.

* * *

"… And, then I'll rule the world with llamas as my minions~!" Li finished while punching the air.

Sparkles shined around her as silence reigned.

She blinked before looking around.

Various people were giving her strange looks before she pouted and whined, "Shou~! Tsuna~! Where'd you guys go~?"

Arms crossed in front of her, she sulked while crouching in front of the shrine, "Meanies. Leaving me all alone."

Resting her head against her arms, Li looked at the stone tablet before freezing.

From behind the tablet, a woman leaned against it while watching the dark brunette.

Her long black hair was tied into a single braid as she brushed away her bangs from her face.

Needles glinted from their hidden spots in the leather gauntlets while her black and red male hanfu swayed in the wind.

Her lips curved up in a familiarly playful smile as her golden eyes twinkled in mirth.

Li blinked and she was gone.

Scratching her spiky head, Li hummed to herself, "I think that candy was expired."

Nonetheless, she straightened up and stretched before clapping her hands together and bowing.

Silent words passed her moving lips.

* * *

"Shouldn't we wait for Li…?" Tsuna asked while hesitating near the shrine's door.

Shouichi was halfway down the stairs when he stopped and blinked, "She hasn't followed yet?"

The light brunette shook his head, causing the redhead to frown.

But, just as the bespectacled boy was about to walk back up, a blur latched onto the light brunette, causing him to squeak.

"TSUNA-FISH~!" Came the familiar cry as the gender-bender pouted, "MOU~! Why'd you guys leave me?"

Shouichi sweatdropped before sighing, "I'm surprised that they didn't kick you out…"

Li flashed a victory sign and grinned, "I'm too awesome to get kicked-!"

"HEY!" An old man stomped up to them, fuming, "Stop blocking the doorway!"

A swift kick to the gender-bender's bottom sent both brunettes flying.

CRASH!

Swirls replaced their eyes.

They twitched before Tsuna sat up, rubbing his head, "Itai-tai-tai…"

"Tsunayoshi-kun!" Shouichi cried out as he hopped off of the stairs, "Li-san!"

Tsuna blinked as he felt shifts below him before looking down and-

"HIIIIII! LI! DAIJOUBU?"

-jumping away in panic.

"K-Kyuu…?" The gender-bender groaned before blinking, "Tsuna…?"

"Y-Yeah." The light brunette hovered over her.

Dark-brown eyes narrowed in a squint, "When did you have a twin…?"

Two pairs of eyes bulged out, "E-EH?"

"W-What should we do~o?" Tsuna panicked, gripping Li's shoulders, with teary eyes, "Li's _seeing_ things!"

The redhead sweatdropped nervously, "M-Maybe, we should get her to Fang-san…?"

"NO~!" Came the sudden cry as Li jumped into the redhead's arm, "I don't wanna DIE~!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Silence reigned over the three as a dark aura crackled around Shouichi while Tsuna asked, "You're okay…?"

Li blinked before replying slowly, "… Yes~?"

Tsuna sweatdropped before flinching when the redhead abruptly dropped her and declared, "Next time, we're REALLY leaving you."

"EH?" Came the surprised shout as Shouichi proceeded to drag Tsuna away.

Li cried waterfalls as she ran after them, screaming, "NOOO~! DON'T LEAVE ME~!"

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Li…?" Tsuna started, looking at the girl clinging onto his arm, "Why _did_ you take so long?"

Shouichi slowed a bit in his brisk walking to listen in.

Dark-brown eyes blinked before their owner grinned and ruffled around in her pockets.

Suddenly, bags were nearly shoved into their faces as Li chirped happily.

"I GOT _CANDY_~!"

Dot. Dot. D-

BONK!

"SHOU~!" The gender-bender whined, nursing her bump, "What did you do _that_ for?"

A vein irked as the redhead deposited a candy bag into his pocket and stalked off.

Tsuna sweatdropped and sighed before smiling, "He was just worried."

Li blinked again before grinning as her metaphorical cat's tail appeared, quivering behind her, "Really?"

The light brunette nodded with a grin, "Un!"

A kittenish grin spread across her lips before she pranced towards the redhead and glomped onto him, "Thank you, Shou~!"

"W-What-?" The redhead stuttered with a red face, "L-Li-san! You're too close!"

Tsuna laughed as Li simply cuddled the redhead before gulping when she turned her gaze onto him.

A fanged grin danced across her lips.

"I WUV YOU BOTH~!"

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

Nibbling on the chitose ame, Li hummed to herself while prancing in front of the exhausted boys.

'Today was a great day!'

She thought as she bounced on one step before twirling onto the next.

'We got CANDY!'

After dancing some more, the gender-bender began to calm as she crossed her arms behind her head and grinned up at the bright sky.

'And…'

Her eyes closed as the sun shined on them.

'I got to make my wish.'

She turned slightly to look at the lagging boys.

'No matter what happens…'

She glanced back and looked down with soft eyes.

'I hope that things will go their way.'

Up above, a single magpie flew over her.

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

(Obvious) **_Good News_**: I updated.

(Not-So-Obvious) **_Bad News_**: I'm... *grimace* ... losing interest.

I didn't think that this would happen, but (slowly) I'm starting to lose my interest in writing. *sigh* It may be that all of the assignments I've been doing for college is making me irritated though. Hopefully, I'll get over this phase quickly. *shrugs* I don't know...

But, nonetheless, thank you for reading/reviewing/etcetera-ing _The Journal of Memories_.

**

* * *

**

**Loose Translation:**

(1) Kimono - a traditional Japanese garment worn by women, men and children

(2) Hakama - a divided skirt that resembles trousers

(3) Kami-sama - a divinity

(4) Da~atte~! - Bu~ut~!

(5) Chitose Ame - a long, thin, red candy (symbolizing healthy growth and longevity) typically given out in a bag with a crane and a turtle (both representing long life) on it during Shichigosan

**

* * *

Preview: (Maybe?)**

Kinro Kansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day) is a day in Japan that celebrates all of the hard work people have done.


	36. Event 28: True Gifts

Date: Sunday, October 17, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 28: True Gifts_

* * *

Li hummed softly, swinging around a large bag that rustled with treats as she hopped down the stairs of her house.

Poking her head into the kitchen, she grinned before bounding inside.

Thump!

The bag was dropped onto the table as she hopped onto a chair and rustled through it.

A woman sipped at her tea while raising a brow before sighing, "What are you doing this time, Kyuu-chan?"

Li grinned and pulled out two magpie plushes cuddling, presenting it to her parents, "TA DA~!"

The adults blinked before Daisuke sweatdropped at the addition of a fake frying pan and knife in one of the birds' wings as a vein irked on Fang's temple.

"Kyuu-chan…" She started, knife glinting in one hand when-

WHOOSH~!

-the child had already ran out of the room, leaving a dust trail.

"YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!" Fang shouted, waving around her weapon, "YOU BETTER RUN!"

"Pbbfft-!" Daisuke attempted to stifle his laugh but-

BONK!

-the hilt of the knife was brought down on this head, making a bump grow as Fang sulked, "Not funny."

The man chuckled lightly, rubbing his head, before hugging the woman, "Now, now, love. It's all good."

A raspberry was her mature response.

* * *

A kittenish grin played on Li's lips as she bounded outside when-

"XIAO LIIIIIIIII~!"

THUMP!

-a blur tackled her to the ground.

Dot. Dot. D-

BAM!

A small fist embedded itself into the older gender-bender's face. Tears coursed down his abused cheeks as Kiyoshi sniffled, "Why do you hurt me so, Xiao Li~?"

A vein throbbed on the younger one's temple as she snapped, "I wouldn't hurt you if you'd stop glomping me!"

"B-But-! Xiao Li~!" The boy whined, attempting to hug the girl close, "I _love_ you~!"

A foot replace the fist as Li growled and pushed her brother back, "Go love Hage-jii!"

Kiyoshi pouted, "I do love him!"

Li scowled, "Go love him _more_!"

Cat-ears drooped at the rejection as grey eyes shimmered with unshed tears. The boy's tail wrapped dejected around his leg. Violet will-o'-wisps made themselves known around him. Kiyoshi bit his thumb and whimpered, "Do you hate me, Li…?"

The girl froze at the scene before sputtering, "I don't _hate_ you!"

His ears perked up as his eyes sparkled before-

"You're just annoying."

-a dark cloud hung over him at the add-on.

Li crossed her arms and frowned, "I keep telling you that I don't wanna be glomped, but you never stop!"

"Th-That's because-!" Kiyoshi sniffled, ears dropped again, "I want Li to know I love her…"

A vein irked as she kicked her brother, "I'm right here so quit talking in three-person view!"

"Li…" Kiyoshi murmured, taking the hit in stride, before he crouched down to her height and whispered secretly, "… It's third-person view."

Dot. Dot. D-

WHAM!

The sole of her sneaker implanted into his face as several veins throbbed. A bright, red blush covered her cheeks as Li snapped, "I-I knew that."

She abruptly retracted her attack and turned away, arms crossed. Her lips were pouted out as she sulked about her mistake. Grey eyes blinked before softening as their owner pulled his sister close. She tensed before looking up with a caret-frown, "What are you doing?"

Kiyoshi merely grinned and wriggled around, "You're so cute, Xiao-Mmrph-!"

He blinked before pouting against the small hands that covered his lips.

"Hn." Came the snort and turn of Li's head.

Grey eyes suddenly perked up with a mischievous glint before Li jumped and abruptly pulled away while wrinkling her nose. She waved her wet hand and whined, "Kiyoshi~! Only I can do that~!"

"Sorry~!" Came the cheerful reply as Kiyoshi hugged the girl close again, "But, you're so cute when you whine~!"

Once more, a vein throbbed before-

SLAM!

-a blur hit the boy's face as Li bolted for it before the object slid down and dropped into his lap.

Blinking in surprise, Kiyoshi looked down before his eyes softened.

"Li…" He started while brushing against the soft fabric.

In his hands was a plush comprising of the head of a golden pheasant, the body of a mandarin duck, the rail of a peacock, the legs of a crane, the beak of a parrot and the wings of a swallow.

A smile graced his lips as he brushed his lips against the object's head.

"Thank you."

* * *

After sprinting down several blocks...

BAM!

"I'M HERE~!"

Li called out happily with a kittenish grin before waving to the surprised two, ignoring the others, "TSUYOSHI-JII! TAKESHI! KONNICHIWA~!"

"Yo, Li!" The baseball fan called out with a grin as the man chuckled, "Come on in, Li-kun! It's been a while since I've last seen you! How's Dante-san?"

"Hage-Jii's doing great! I think he's in Germany, right now." The dark brunette grinned, bounding in and sitting on a tall stool.

Tsuyoshi laughed, continuing with his work, "Is that so? Despite his age, he's a real adventurer!"

"Yup!" Li chirped happily as Takeshi took a seat next to her.

The chef grinned lightly at the sight before moving along to his customers

"So…" The boy started with a wide grin, "How did it go with him?"

The dark brunette hummed and waved her legs a bit before grinning back, "It worked!"

"Hage-Jii told me a lot about Mama and our family in general!" Li explained as Takeshi listened quietly, "I didn't know that Hage-Jii fought in a war before! Apparently, it was a war between families, but he wouldn't go too much in depth with it which sucks."

At this, she pouted, earning a laugh from the boy, "Maa, maa, Li. Don't worry too much about it!"

"I'm not worried~!" Li whined, waving an arm at Takeshi, "I'm impatient~! There's a difference!"

"Wari, wari!" Takeshi chuckled before prodding, "And, then?"

Li perked up again, "Then, he told me all the embarrassing things about Mama!"

"Like the time she ran out of the house naked 'cause she didn't wanna dress up! And," Her bangs shadowed her eyes as she cackled lowly, "I can't believe Mama's also afraid of clowns!"

The boy blinked innocently, "Are _you_ afraid of them?"

The gender-bender froze before turning robotically towards him, "… Why do you ask…?"

A carefree smile was on his lips as he chirped, "You said your mom was 'also' afraid!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Dark-brown eyes looked away shiftily, "… No, I didn't."

"Eh?" Came the surprised look before his eyes glittered briefly as Takeshi persevered, "But I heard-!"

"NOOOOOSH~!" The girl waved her arm at him again, "I REFUSE TO ANSWER!"

Takeshi laughed at the flustered face before ruffling the girl's hair, "Hai, hai!"

"… Meanie." Li pouted before crossing her arms and huffing, "Maybe I shouldn't give it to you."

The boy blinked and tilted his head, "Give me what?"

A raspberry before the dark brunette hopped off of the stool and bounded towards the man, "Tsuyoshi-jii~!"

"Hai~?" Came the response as Takeshi's dad looked up and blinked.

Li winked and held out two wrapped bags, singing, "I'll give you Takeshi's present too~!"

"Eh?" Came the startled cry from the boy as he scrambled off of his seat and pouted, "Are you serious?"

She merely blew a raspberry and pranced out of the shop.

"LI! Wait-!" Takeshi started before turning to his laughing father, "O-Oyaji! Was Li being serious?"

Li flashed the man a thumbs-up, causing him to nod and laugh louder as Takeshi began panicking.

"Li! Hold up! I-!"

She left.

* * *

A deep breath in...

"Kyuu~!"

... and an exhale before Li grinned happily, swinging her bag around and chirping, "One debt down!"

She hummed for a moment before slouching as a dark aura hung over her, "And two more to go…"

Li sighed a bit before perking up when her eyes caught sight of a familiar copper plaque.

A light grin danced on her lips as she slung the strap over her shoulder, adjusting it, before grabbing onto the metal gates of Namimori Shougakkou. Climbing upwards, she swung her legs over the top and shimmied down before dropping onto her feet.

"SAFE!" She cheered with arms up in the air when-

WHOOSH!

-she ducked as-

CLANG!

-wood hit metal.

A kittenish grin appeared on the dark brunette as she waved happily, "Kyouya-nii~!"

BONK!

The tonfa bopped the girl on the head, making her whine incoherently, before the boy grunted, "What are you doing here?"

Li perked up and ruffled through her awesome bag before pulling out her gift and chirping, "Here you go~!"

Grey eyes blinked slowly at the object before Kyouya asked slowly, "What is that…?"

The gender-bender pouted, "Can't you tell? It's mini-Hane! Since you seemed to like Hane-chi, I thought-!"

SLAM!

Her face met the ground as Li twitched, letting go of the plush. The wooden tonfa never left it's seat on her spiky head. Slowly, she turned to glance up at the glaring boy and pouted, "What'd you do that for?"

Kyouya snorted and retracted his weapon, "I said to never speak of it, itoko."

"B-But-!" Li whined while waving her arms around, "You _do_ like Hane-!"

WHAM!

Make that three bumps on her head as the gender-bender twitched on the floor.

POOF!

White smoke billowed as Kyouya walked away nonchalantly.

"I'll see you later for training."

Tears ran down Li's face as he sniffled, "Meanie…"

He never saw the gift tucked into the other's pocket.

* * *

"Kyuu…" Li sighed as he dragged his feet down the sidewalk, "Kyouya-nii can be so cruel…"

"Ara?" Came the surprised voice as the dark brunette blinked and looked up to see a familiar housewife ask, "Li-kun! What happened?"

Dark-brown eyes glittered at the woman before the boy glomped her, sniffling, "Nana-san~!"

Nana blinked before patting him on the head, "There, there, Kyuu-chan. Tell Kaa-chan what happened."

Li nuzzled against the woman's warm body before grinning brightly, "Don't worry, Nana-san! It was something boring! It happens all the time when I meet up with Kyouya-nii!"

The woman hummed softly before smiling, "In that case, do you want to go shopping with me?"

The gender-bender perked up, "Yeah! What are you buying?"

Nana held onto the child's hand and chattered happily, "I'm thinking of making Tsu-kun's favorite tonight!"

Cat-ears perked as the boy's tail quivered gently, "Hamburger?"

"Mm hm!" The woman nodded before tapping the boy's nose, "I'll make sure to save you some too!"

"BANZAI!" Li cheered before tugging the woman forward, "Let's go! Let's go!"

The woman laughed as she allowed herself to be dragged before noticing a sign on Amori's Boutique, "Ah…!"

Li blinked and paused in his actions before tilting his head slightly. Dark-brown eyes glanced up at the woman before flickering over to the sign. It said: Clearance Sale! All items are 50% off!

A kittenish grin appeared on his lips as Li tugged on the woman's hand, "Ne, ne, Nana-san! Let's go check that out!"

"Eh?" Came the surprised voice from Nana before she smiled and nodded, "Hai!"

* * *

Dark-brown eyes sparkled at the variety of things in the store, but one definitely caught his attention. It was a giant yellow plush of a baby chick. Li wriggled around a bit with his hands on his blushing cheeks, 'It's another Hane-chi~!'

POOF!

White smoke filled the store as several customers coughed in surprise. Nana simply continued on with her own browsing, not at all worried, and soon became preoccupied.

Back with Li, she coughed a bit and waved the smoke away before scratching her head in embarrassment, "Whoops! I gotta-"

"KYOUKUGEN!" Came the loud shout, making the gender-bender jump in surprise before her eyes widened in glee.

"THAT WAS STRANGE TO THE EXTREME!" A familiar white-cropped boy shouted with his hands in the air. Meanwhile, an orange-haired girl attempted to calm him down, "Onii-san! Please lower your voice!"

"Ah?" The boy blinked before grinning sheepishly, "Sorry, Kyoko! I-!"

"RYO-SENPAI~!"

THUMP!

A blur tackled the boy to the ground as the redhead gasped in surprise, "Sasaki-kun?"

Li grinned from her perch on the older one before giving the girl's a thumbs-up, "YO, KYOKO-!"

"SASAKI~!" Ryohei shouted, hoisting the smaller one into the air, "THAT WAS AN EXTREME TACKLE! TAKE UP BOXING!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

"When did we get onto boxing?" Li deadpanned to the other girl.

Kyoko smiled and laughed softly, "Gomen ne, Sasaki-kun. Onii-san recently got into the sport."

The gender-bender scratched her cheek before shrugging, "Okay."

She then turned to give the expectant boy an apologetic grin, "Sorry, Ryo-senpai, but I'm more of a leg-person!"

The boy visibly deflated before perking back up again, "Then, take up kick-boxing!"

A sweatdrop rolled down Li's face before she crossed her arms firmly and shook her head, "Iyada!"

"Why not?" Ryohei demanded before aiming a few punches as demonstration, "Boxing is EXTREME!"

Dark-brown eyes glinted as Li smirked, "I bet your extreme boxing skills can't beat my EXTREME throwing skills!"

Grey eye glinted at the challenge as Ryohei smirked up, "Yosh! It's another FIGHT!"

Kyoko giggled a bit, "They're both all fired up now."

And, indeed, they were.

Their auras crackled and burned as the two marched towards the back of the store, which was conveniently empty.

"Here's how it works!" Li started as she pointedly ignored the fact that they were in a store and ripped open a darts board, "If I can throw all the darts into the center, then I win."

She looked around and twitched a bit when her eyes landed on an inflated clown doll. Backing away, Li hid behind Ryohei and pointed to it, "And, if you can make that burst with your punches, then you win!"

"Yosh!" Ryohei cracked his knuckles and set up the Bobo Doll, "What's the time limit?"

Li smirked and rotated her shoulders, "Three minutes."

Grey eyes glinted, "Just like a boxing round."

Kyoko smiled at their eager expressions, "Ready?"

Both contestants nodded, readying their weapon of choice.

"Start!" The redhead chirped.

Ba-bam! Thunk.

Thunk. Ba-bam!

Ba-BOP! -unk.

Everyone jumped at the loud popping noise before-

"YATTA!"

-Ryohei cheered, pumping his fists into the air as Li gaped, "USO!"

What was once a creepy clown doll was now nothing but shredded plastic. Li twitched before sinking to his knees as a dark cloud hung over him.

POOF!

White smoke filled the area as the siblings coughed a bit before blinking in surprise. Violet will-o'-wisps hovered around the gender-bender as he sniffled. They sweatdropped.

Ryohei grinned before clamping a hand on Li's shoulders, "Better luck next time, Sasaki!"

Li simply tended to mushrooms.

Their sweatdrops doubled before Kyoko crouched down to the gender-bender.

"Sasaki-kun?" She started before smiling brightly, "Don't worry! You did well too! All three darts hit!"

The dark brunette sniffled a bit before continuing to sulk, "Yeah, but Ryo-senpai finished first…"

The aura became heavier as the mushrooms seemed to have tripled in size. The siblings opened their mouths to say something but-

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

-a loud shriek stopped them. Fortunately, or unfortunately, a worker stomped up to them, face red with anger.

Li blinked and looked over to the worker before his brow twitched, "No. Way."

Cheeks puffed out in a familiarly evil way as the woman flicked her silky hair behind her shoulder before placing her fists on her hips, "What do you brats think you're doing to the store's good?"

The dark brunette twitched before looking away flatly, 'She looks so much like Squirrel-teme! Only she has brown hair…'

"Well?" The twin of the _evil_ squirrel lady of _doom_ shouted, tapping her foot and glaring down at the three. Kyoko whimpered softly and hid behind Ryohei who sweatdropped and attempted to placate the woman, "We're sorry! We-!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" The Satou-look-alike snapped, "You deliberately destroyed the store's things!"

The boy couldn't help but look down in shame. Li scowled, feeling the familiar feeling of irritation bubble within him, before stepping forth, "They said sorry and it wasn't even their fault!"

Blue eyes looked sharply at the gender-bender before their owner snorted, "What was that, warugaki? I wasn't even talking to you."

A vein throbbed on the dark brunette as his memory briefly flashed back to the Miss Tanabata who said the exact same thing. Li growled lowly and stood in front of the siblings, "What? Gone deaf with your old age?"

The woman turned a bright lobster-red as two pairs of wide eyes locked onto the gender-bender.

"S-Sasaki-kun…" Kyoko whispered timidly as Ryohei shuffled nervously, "This is dangerous, Sasaki."

Li blinked and raised a brow at the nervous siblings, "Why? It's just a kusobabaa."

A vein throbbed on the woman's temple as her aura crackled. The gender-bender merely snorted and crossed his arms, glaring back defiantly, "You don't scare me, Debu-teme."

"THAT'S IT!" She shrieked, grabbing the nonchalant boy as the other two startled, "I'LL TEACH YOU TO RUN YOUR MOUTH WITH ME!"

"SASAKI/-KUN!" The siblings cried out in alarm as Li blinked while dangling precariously in the woman's hands. The gender-bender merely smirked, irritating the woman even more, "What? Kusobabaa, are you going to actually hit a kid?"

She sputtered and hesitated before hissing, "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Dark-brown eyes gleamed, "That you're a disgrace to all brunettes."

The evil woman snapped, "YOU-!"

"LI-KUN!" Came the sweet interruption.

Nana jogged lightly up to the children as Li widened his eyes dramatically, tears clinging to the edges, and hiccuped, "N-Nana-s-san…!"

The worker startled at the sudden change as Nana snatched the dark brunette out of the grip and fussed over him. Li sniffled and rubbed at his eyes, "I-I was just p-playing with my friends. I didn't know th-that I wasn't supposed t-to!"

Nana softened her gaze and rocked the child gently, cooing with her eyes closed, "There, there, Kyuu-chan. It's okay now."

As Nana was distracted, Li winked towards the siblings. Grey and gold eyes brightened in understanding before their owners clung onto the housewife, cowering behind her and shying away from the worker. Nana's heart called out to the pitiful looks they threw at her before she crouched down and gathered them all into her arms, "It's okay. Everything's fine."

"I-I-!" The worker started before freezing when the sweet woman threw a surprisingly dark gaze at her. Nana breathed deeply to calm herself before smiling brightly. A freezing wintry wind blew pass the Squirrel Lady as the housewife calmly stated, "We'll be leaving now. Goodbye."

With that said and down, the four left the store leaving the frozen worker to gape at the silent raspberry that Li sent her way.

* * *

"Here you go~!" Nana chirped cheerfully, handing a crepe to each child.

"Arigatou, Nana-san~!" The three chorused as they sat on the bench in Namimori's park.

Li and Ryohei, being the rambunctious children they are, eagerly bit into the sweet pastry as Kyoko followed in a more calm manner.

The housewife smiled at the sight before remembering, "Oh! Li-kun!"

The dark brunette blinked before looking worriedly at the woman, "What's wrong, Nana-san?"

She pressed a hand to her lightly blushing cheek, "I just remembered that dinner's a surprise for Tsu-kun!"

Li perked up before grinning and saluting, "Ryokai! I'll distract Tsuna-Fish~!"

"Arigatou, Kyuu-chan~!" Nana thanked the boy, "He's over at Shouichi-kun's home."

The dark brunette winked and gave a thumbs-up, "I got'cha!"

The woman smiled and leaned down to peck his cheeks, resulting in a faint blush, before hurrying off to shop.

Finishing his crepe in record time, Li licked the chocolate from his lips before jumping off of the bench, chirping, "I should go now!"

"Aa!" Ryohei nodded, ruffling the boy's hair, before grinning, "Arigatou na, Sasaki?"

"Honto ni!" Kyoko added in firmly with a smile, "Arigatou, Sasaki-kun!"

"No need for thanks." The gender-bender smirked, "We're friends, aren't we?"

A startled look overcame both siblings before they smiled widely and nodded.

"Hai!" Kyoko chirped before her brother added in, "FRIENDS TO THE EXTREME~!"

Li nodded and stretched before his eyes lit up. Ruffling through his bag, the gender-bender grinned as the siblings looked on in confusion. Li quickly stuffed two small wrapped packages into their hands before prancing off, cackling, "NO TAKE BACKS~!"

They blinked at the distancing boy and looked at the gifts. A blush blossomed over Kyoko's cheeks as she held the small Koala keychains in her hands.

"W-WAIT!" Ryohei sputtered in surprise, "WE DIDN'T GET YOU A PRESENT TO THE EXTREME~!"

But, Li was already gone.

* * *

Looking up at a familiar house, Li grinned as he spotted red and light-brown movements near a window. Cackling lowly to himself, the gender-bender snuck through the gates and creeped towards the metal drain that ran up the house. Grabbing onto it, Li shimmied skillfully up the pole before leaping onto the balcony. He knocked and called out cheerfully, "Guess who~?"

The two boys startled from inside before their eyes widened. A wide smile played across their lips as Shouichi opened the window, "Li-san! There you are! We went over to your house earlier but Daisuke-san said that you went out!"

The dark brunette jumped into the relatively tidy room and grinned, "Sorry! I was busy visiting everyone."

"It's okay! At least we're together now." Tsuna chirped happily before stuffing a wrapped box into his hands, "Here! This is from both of us!"

Dark-brown eyes widened before admiring the object. It was wrapped in white paper with a purple ribbon.

"Waaa~!" Came the excited squeal from Li as he shot sparkly eyes at the other two, "Thank you so much~!"

Heat flushing their cherubic cheeks, the smaller two wore sheepish, yet proud, smiles. Gently placing the gift onto the floor, the dark brunette rummaged through his bag before pulling out the last two gifts. Li pushed the orange-wrapped present towards Tsuna and the green-wrapped one towards Shouichi while chirping, "Here ya go~!"

Their flushes darkened as they stuttered out their thanks before Li turned back to his gift with his cat-tail quivered in excitement, "Can I open it now?"

The boys startled before shaking their heads vigorously, "N-Not yet!"

"Eh~?" Cat-ears drooped as Li pouted, "Why not?"

They glanced at each other nervously. Dark-brown eyes narrowed and scrutinized the box. The redhead panicked a bit before a lightbulb switched on, "Ah! Li-san! Guess what?"

Li perked up at the energetic tone, "What? Did something happen?"

Tsuna glanced at the redhead in confusion but Shouichi was confident, "There's a special event going on at the shrine!"

Instantly, dark-brown eyes lit up as the presents were forgotten.

* * *

"WOW!" Came the excited shout as Li looked at the decorated temple, "There's so many things!"

"Yup!" Shouichi nodded, pushing up his glasses, "There's everything from omamori to trinkets to-"

"UDON~!" Screamed the gender-bender as he bounded towards a direction.

Dot. Dot. Dot.

The other two sighed before slowly following with a small grin.

'There's just no way to keep Li from udon.'

* * *

Upon entering the stall, the two had to roll their eyes at the sight as-

"Seconds, please~!"

-Li ordered for more.

Sighing, Shouichi took a seat on her right and mused, "You never get tired of it, do you, Li-san?"

In answer, his lips merely curved into a kittenish grin as he thanked the chef and started on the food.

Tsuna chuckled a bit as he took his seat on Li's left, "If Li does get bored of it, then the world will end."

"WILL NOT~!" The dark brunette snorted into his soup before-

POOF!

-white smoke exploded from the gender-bender.

The boys simply waved the wisps away and gave the baffled chef two innocent smiles. The man scratched in head in confusion before carrying along. Shouichi grinned lightly before elbowing Li, "Still haven't gotten it?"

A pout made itself known on her lips as she whined, "It's not fair~!"

Tsuna patted the girl on the back, "Don't worry, Li. You'll get it… eventually."

Thunk!

Her head slammed onto the counter, mindful of the bowl, as Li whimpered, "It's too hard."

Green eyes sparkled as Shouichi snickered, "Your head?"

The girl jerked up and huffed at the redhead, "Meanie! I think I'm rubbing off'a you waaa~aaay too much!"

The bespectacled boy merely widened his eyes innocently and blinked, "Really?"

Li pouted, "You can't do that! That's _my_ (not) innocent face!"

Shouichi responded by pulling his expression into an all-time cutesy face, complete with sparkles and bubbles, resulting in the girl's slamming her head back onto the counter and groaning, "Shou~!"

The redhead grinned triumphantly at the light brunette who shook his head, laughing softly. Li turned to face Tsuna and pouted, "Don't encourage him!"

Light-brown eyes blinked before widening as Tsuna tilted his head lightly, "But, he's my friend. I should encourage him."

Li's lips puffed out as she complained, "I'm your friend too, y'know~!"

Tsuna held his fists to his chin and blinked slowly, batting his lashes, as his eyes misted over, "Are you mad at me…?"

The girl froze at the look of dejection before jerking up and shaking her head vigorously, "N-No!"

Tears began to cling to the light brunette's eyes as he rubbed at them, "I'm sorry, Li. I didn't realize that I… That I…"

His lips trembled as Li panicked and gripped the boy by the shoulders, squeaking, "I'm NOT mad! PROMISE! Don't cry, Tsuna!"

Tsuna covered his face with his hands as his shoulders quivered. The dark brunette paled at the reaction before pulling the boy into a hug, "C-Come on! You know I don't like to see you cry!"

In the background, Shouichi was having a hard time not bursting into laughter. The chef gave the trio a questioning look but the redhead shook his head and explained quietly. The man shook his head before putting forth some orders.

"Please don't cry…" Came the barely audible voice.

The light brunette froze at the painfully low tone, 'Li…?'

The gender-bender slumped against him, "I… I never want you to hurt."

His hands lowered, displaying his shocked expression. Shouichi caught sight of it and frowned with furrowed brows, mouthing, 'What's wrong?'

Tsuna pursed his lips before leaning against the still girl and mouthing back, 'I don't know.'

The redhead blinked, worried, and was about to go forth when the chef piped up secretly, "If there's one thing to know, kid, it's that you don't play with a girl's feelings."

Green eyes blinked in surprise before their owner sputtered, "W-We weren't playing…!"

The chef simply shook his head, "You _think_ you weren't."

Shouichi frowned and looked over to the girl as she continued to lean against the light brunette. He hesitated, feelings of doubt bubbling within him, 'Were we…?'

His eyes dulled as they met with equally guilty brown eyes. The boys shuffled uncomfortably before both opened their mouths to speak when-

"Kyuu~!"

-a light snore interrupted them.

Dot. Dot. Dot.

The boys sweatdropped at the peaceful expression the girl held as the chef simply whistled and turned away, focusing on his job. A vein throbbed on the boys' temple before Tsuna gathered the girl onto his back and stomped off. Shouichi stayed simply to pay before he too left, grumbling under his breath

The chef shook his head, "Kids. So naive."

* * *

Sitting under one of the shrine's cherry blossom trees, the boys relaxed as Li slept undisturbed.

"I can't believe we were tricked." Tsuna grumbled, picking at a blade of grass, "And by that Udon-Ossan."

Shouichi sighed and leaned against the trunk of the tree, nodding in agreement, "Yeah. I really thought that Li-san was hurt."

The light brunette looked over at the gender-bender before softening and inching closer, "… I was really scared."

Green eyes blinked at the confession and looked over at the younger one before their owner nodded, "Yeah…"

Silence reigned over them as they vaguely noticed the cool breeze.

"Ah~ Kyuu!" Came the sneeze as the boys jumped before relaxing when Li shifted around to a more comfortable position. She sniffled a bit before sighing with a smile, calming down.

Tsuna played with the dark-brown locks before piping up nervously, "Shouichi-kun…?"

"Hm…?" Came the somewhat drowsy voice of the redhead as he scooted closer to the other two.

The light brunette hesitated, fiddling with Li's hair some more, "Were we…?"

Shouichi became alert again and frowned in thought.

Were they playing with her feelings?

They gazed at Li's sleeping face.

Well, they were playing, but…

"Tsuna-Fish... Shou…"

The two tensed at the soft murmuring before calming their tense bodies as a kittenish grin appeared on Li's lips.

"Let's eat so'more…"

Sweatdrops trickled down their face before-

"Pbbfft-!"

-the two boys had to stifle their laughter.

As per usual, Li's thinking about eating udon.

They sighed after taking a moment to calm down and slumped against the tree.

It's true that they were playing...

They huddled near the dark brunette for warmth as their eyes began to droop.

But, not with her feelings...

A smile crept up on their lips as they relaxed.

After all, their feelings always were and always will be true.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

The green grass bended to pressure upon being stepped on.

"Honestly!" Came an exasperated sigh as a shadow casted over the three sleeping children, "I keep telling her to be more alert!"

"Oh~?" Came an amused voice as a larger shadow casted over the trio, "They fell asleep?"

"Daisuke," The first started with hands on her hips, "You can at least look worried!"

The man chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around the other, "Calm down, Fang. They're fine and well. No need to dwell upon it."

Fang sulked momentarily and leaned into the warmth before relaxing, "I know, but…"

Daisuke nuzzled her neck and whispered, "Don't worry. We're safe."

She pursed her lips and turned away, "But, for how long?"

There was no answer.

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

I'm still on hiatus, but I was greatly encouraged to write by three specific people: 4shadowedice4, jestie kiryuu and kimkakashi.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING ME!

This chapter is dedicated to your honor. :'D

Nevertheless, I thank ALL of my readers as well so THANK YOU FOR READING/REVIEWING/ETCETERA-ING _THE JOURNAL OF MEMORIES_.

I'm always touched by those who bother with my still-lacking skills. :'3

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Ryokai! - Understood!

(2) Omamori - Japanese amulets of protection

(3) Udon-Ossan - old Udon-man

**

* * *

Preview: None right now, sorry... ._.'**


	37. Event 29: SnowFilled Day

Date: Monday, November 01, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 29: Snow-Filled Day_

* * *

"IT SNOWED!"

The delightful cry came from a certain dark brunette as she pressed her palms against the cool pane. Immediately, the window misted over with her warmth before disappearing when she moved away. Lips curved up in a kittenish grin, the gender-bender turned to her friends, "Let's go out!"

A yawn escaped the light brunette as he rubbed his eyes sleepily and murmured, "It's too early, Li…"

"Buu~!" Came the pout as Li puffed out her lips, "It's _never_ too early to play!"

"Li-san," The redhead grumbled, ruffling his hair, "The _sun_ hasn't even come up yet."

Dark-brown eyes widened in an (not) innocent manner as the girl asked, "So?"

Green eyes rolled upwards as their owner drawled, "If the sun's not up, then we're not full of energy."

Cheeks flushed red at remembering Takeshi's words, Li sulked to herself, "No need to repeat it…"

The boys laughed despite their exhaustion before huddling close to the dark brunette, filling up the leftover space on the window seat. A thick patchwork quilt covered the three as a comfortable silence overcame them. Li traced her lopsided name in the square with a violet bird before humming, "Remember when Nana-san started this?"

Tsuna blinked at the mention of his mother before smiling and looking at the comforter.

"Yeah," He started as he thumbed the square with his name under an orange cat, "We all tried to help but…"

Sheepish grins settled around as Shouichi rubbed his name under a Rubik's cube and finished, "Only Daisuke-san was any help."

"Bleh." Li stuck out her tongue, "Papa's pretty girly."

The boys laughed at the statement before paling when she continued, "And Mama's psycho."

"Y-You should be careful, Li-san." The redhead warned, looking around warily, "You never know when she's listening…"

They shivered simultaneously.

"R-Right." The gender-bender nodded in agreement before shifting topics, "Want hot chocolate?"

Shouichi blinked as Tsuna perked up.

"Depends." The former mused with a raised brow, "Are you gonna go hyper on us?"

The image of chibi-Li tripped up on dozens of sugar cubes in her drink and causing overall chaos flashed across their minds.

Arms crossed, she huffed and defended, "That was only once!"

"Riii~iight…" Came the sarcastic remark from the redhead.

Tsuna laughed softly as Li puffed out her lips and sulked ever further, "Buu~ Meanie Shou…"

Shouichi snickered before stretching and sighing, "Darn. I'm tired but can't sleep now."

"It's your fault." The redhead declared, poking the dark brunette, with a light grin, "Fetch me some hot cocoa now."

Dark-brown eyes rolled upwards before the gender-bender gave a mock bow, "Yes, your highness."

A pillow smacked her head as Tsuna pouted, "What about me?"

Li rubbed her messy hair before smiling slyly. Light-brown eyes blinked as the light brunette tilted his head. The gender-bender knelt on one knee and took Tsuna's hand, bringing his up to her lips. Both boys flushed red at the action as Li kissed the back of Tsuna's hand and said cheekily, "Whatever do you wish, my lord?"

The blush darkened as the light brunette squeaked incoherently. The girl laughed before the redhead threw his pillow at her and scolded lightly, "Li-san! You're gonna make him-!"

Thump!

"… faint…" Shouichi sighed as his shoulders slumped.

Li laughed and picked up the boy, nuzzling her nose against his warm cheek and cooing, "Tsuna-Fishy's so cuuu~uute~!"

The redhead facepalmed as the girl set Tsuna onto the window seat before he drawled, "Now what?"

Dark-brown eyes widened with a sparkle.

"Hot cocoa, anyone?"

* * *

Li whistled cheerfully as she scooped ample amounts of the sweet powder into three cups.

The redhead shook his head at the carefree girl as he dispensed the hot water from the electric water boiler.

The aroma from the sugary drink filled the kitchen air as Shouichi stirred, making the dry ingredient dissolve completely into the liquid.

The sound of bustling from the gender-bender made the boy look up from his work before deadpanning, "What are you doing?"

Standing on the cool counter, Li blinked while frozen in her reach towards the cabinet. Her fingers were grasped around the smooth handle of the storage space.

She grinned widely and sang, "Hi-mi-tsu~!"

Green eyes narrowed suspiciously at the gender-bender as she smiled back, batting her lashes.

Reluctantly, he turned away since she refused to move.

The moment his gaze averted, the dark brunette finished her task as the cabinet door shut with a soft thunk.

Shouichi blinked and looked back to see the girl humming cheerfully, hands behind her, while swaying in tune.

Pausing in his stirring, the redhead placed his fists on his hips and questioned, "What are you hiding?"

Dark-brown eyes widened as Li adopted her (not) naive look, "Why, whatever do you mean, your highness?"

He narrowed his eyes again and demanded, "Show me your hands."

Lips curved up in a kittenish grin, the dark brunette followed through and showed her hands.

Nothing.

Briefly, a disappointed look flashed through the redhead's eyes before he sighed in acceptance and returned to his work.

An upbeat whistle sounded through as Shouichi focused on placing the warm cups onto a tray before picking it up.

With a turn, the two walked (well, Li skipped) out of the kitchen.

* * *

Placing the tray onto the coffee table, Shouichi ruffled his hair before sulking, "Tsuna's so lucky."

Li popped over his shoulder and blinked before opening her mouth to ask but the redhead cut her off with an answer.

"He's getting more sleep." Green eyes narrowed playfully at the dark brunette as their owner teased, "I would've too if it weren't for a certain somebody here."

Lower lip puffed out in a pout, the gender-bender whined, "But it snooo~oowed~!"

Red locks swayed as the boy shook his head and chuckled, "Only you would get so excited over that."

"Not true!" Li denied with her arms in x-formation, "Admit it! You were excited too!"

"I was tired." He deadpanned before adding in thoughtfully, "Still am."

"Nooooosh~!" She waved her arm at him with mock frustration, "You're not tired!"

"Am too." The redhead retorted.

"Are not~!" She responded.

"Too."

"Not!"

"Too."

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"NOT!"

"HA! I got you to admit it!" Li cheered, pumping her fists as the redhead facepalmed and groaned, "That wasn't how it was supposed to play out…"

A raspberry was the girl's (im)mature reply as she skipped over to the light brunette.

Poking Tsuna's cherubic cheeks, Li grinned and sang, "Little Tsuna-Fishy swimming in the sea~! There's hot cocoa unless you want tea~!"

"What kind of greeting is _that_?" Shouichi deadpanned.

"My kind'a greeting." She smirked.

The redhead was about to retort when the light brunette stirred and yawned, "What happened…?"

Canines flashing in a playful grin, Li knelt down again in a bow and purred, "Greetings, master-"

Thunk!

"Itai~!" Came the pained cry as Tsuna held his head.

Li startled and panicked, "Ts-Tsuna? What happened?"

"He hit his head because of your comment, Li-san." Shouichi sighed and shook his head, "You know that Tsunayoshi-kun's easily flustered."

The comment went over the dark brunette's head as the lighter one flushed red and pouted, "A-Am not!"

A red brow raised before a glint entered green eyes as the older boy grinned, "Are too."

Cheeks darkening, Tsuna huffed, "Am not!"

Grin flickering with traces of a smirk, Shouichi teased, "Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"HA!" The redhead exclaimed victoriously with a point of his finger.

Light-brown eyes blinked in confusion as their owner mused on the argument when suddenly-

THUD!

-the anvil of realization slammed into the fluffy brown head.

Tears coursed down his face as Tsuna waved a hand at the redhead and whined, "That's not fair, Shouichi-kun~!"

The complaint went over the redhead's head as he poked the girl and declared, "That's how it's supposed to go!"

"Too bad." Li blew another raspberry, "I'm special."

"Nuh uh." Shouichi retorted, poking her harder.

"Uh huh." The gender-bender poked him back.

"No." He double-poked her.

"Yes." She triple-poked him.

"No." A quadrupled poke.

"Yes." A quintupled poke.

"No." A sextupled poke.

"Ye-"

"Enough!" Came the light brunette's annoyed response.

"Tsuuu~uuna~!" Li whined, rubbing her red arm, "You didn't have to do that~!"

"Yes, I did." The boy pouted while crossing his arms, "If I didn't, then you'd still be arguing."

"I agree with Li-san." Shouichi sulked as he rubbed at his own abused arm, "You didn't have to poke us, Tsunayoshi-kun."

"You started it." Tsuna retorted and stuck out his tongue childishly, "Otherwise I wouldn't have done it!"

"Tsuna…" The girl sniffled as she wiped away a stray tear.

_"If there's one thing to know, kid, it's that you don't play with a girl's feelings."_

The memory of Udon-ossan's words flittered across his mind as said boy stiffened and paled, "L-Li?"

"Li-san…" Shouichi started, approaching her carefully, "Are you-"

"WAI~!"

POOF!

White smoke billowed through the air as the gender-bender babbled, "Tsuna's finally become a man!"

Sweatdrops made their way down the redhead as he stared blankly at the scene. Swirls replaced light-brown eyes as Tsuna was spun round and round in a hug by the exuberant Li.

"I'm so proud of you, my little Tsuna-Fish~!" The dark brunette praised, nuzzling his cheek agains the lighter one, "You now know how to stand up for yourself!"

He paused in his twirling and hugged Tsuna close, proclaiming, "You have officially mastered the **AWESOME** POKE OF **DOOO~OOOM**~!"

"Li-san…" Shouichi grumbled with a facepalm, "He can't breath."

Dark-brown eyes blinked before-

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!"

-Li panicked and shook the boy vigorously, "WAKE UP TSUNA! DON'T DIE ON MEEE-"

WHAM!

The brunettes toppled over as the redhead squeaked and fussed over them.

"MOU~!" Came the whine from the gender-bender as he rubbed his head and huffed, "WHO THREW A SLIPper… at… me…?"

Li paled as long black hair whipped in tune with the crackling dark aura. Shouichi froze and hid behind the dark brunette, clutching onto him and Tsuna who squeaked out inaudible apologies. Narrowed dark-brown eyes flashed dangerously as their owner growled, "Sasaki Li… It's SIX in the goddamn MORNING…. What the HELL do you think you're doing?"

Said boy laughed nervously, "Good morning, Mama…?"

BAM!

A second slipper met his face as he fell over again, twitching in pain.

Lips widened in a sadistic smile as Fang towered over the terrified three, cracking her knuckles.

"Prepare for your punishment from the 'psycho', boys."

* * *

A thick layer of beautifully white snow blanketed the entire neighborhood from the tips of the trees to the shingles on the roofs to the hard concrete sidewalk as-

"WHOA~!"

THUMP!

-three children were unceremoniously thrown out of the Sasaki household.

A red snow hat covering spiky dark-brown locks popped out of disrupted snow as its owner whined, "MAMA~!"

Said woman dusted off her hands and raised a brow, deadpanning, "What?"

Wide dark-brown eyes sparkled with hope.

"Can I at least have my hot cocoa?"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Expression flattening, Fang suddenly whipped up the tray in one hand.

Li perked up and jumped to his feet, about to run towards her, when her lips stretched into a dark grin.

Rosy cheeks paling, the dark brunette immediately ran the opposite direction.

It was as if everything was coming to a pause.

The sweet drink half-forced to the bottom and half-spilling out…

The cups flying through the air, having lost their stand…

The tray spinning like a shrunken in slow-motion…

Li jumped and caught the tray with both hands and maneuvered to catch the bottom of the cups. Having gained support, the cups teetered to a shaky stop as the dark brunette twisted with his back to the ground and landed with a thump just as the hot cocoa settled back into their open home. He sat up as a sigh escaped his lips.

"That was close-"

WHAM!

Splash...

A depressingly dark aura hung over Li as he twitched, snow falling from its comfortable seat on him.

"Li-san!" Came the worried cry from the redhead as he ran towards the gender-bender while dragging the light brunette with him.

Violet will-o'-wisps floated mockingly around the dark brunette.

"Li!" Tsuna squeaked, kneeling besides his sitting best friend, "Are you hurt?"

Indigo will-o'-wisps were added to the purple ones.

Shouichi sweatdropped before kicking away the brown-stained snow and crouching down, "Come on, Li-san, cheer up! There's still two more cups!"

And, indeed, there were - two cups of cold snow-filled cocoa drinks sat on the leveled tray in all of their awesome cup-glory.

Watery dark-brown eyes turned to the boys as their owner whimpered, "Yeah… Two… But, they're not hot cocoa anymore..."

Sweatdrops doubled as the redhead and the light brunette glanced at each other nervously when the latter had a thought. Lightly tugging on Li's thick red jacket, mindful of the tray, Tsuna smiled and attempted to cheer Li up, "Doesn't your favorite cafe open at six?"

"That's right!" Green eyes lit up in realization as their owner declared, "There's always hot chocolate at a cafe!"

Li blinked slowly before perking up as grin spread over his lips, "Seasonal Cafe?"

* * *

"WAI~!" Came the excited cheer from Li as warm air caressed the children's chilled bodies, "WE. ARE. HERE!"

"Li-san," Shouichi scolded without much force, "You're too loud."

"HA!" The dark brunette exclaimed with a point of his finger, "I'm too loud to be a ninja!"

The redhead nearly fell over at the random shift in conversation when the light brunette hummed thoughtfully.

"But, wasn't there a hyperactive ninja in an anime…?" Tsuna mused, tapping his lips, "Something with fish cakes, I think…"

"Nooooosh~!" Li waved an arm towards the other two, "Don't mess up my logos!"

"It's 'logic' Li-san." The redhead sighed while shaking his head with an amused smile.

Li flushed red and was about to retort when a woman's voice rang out, clear as a bell, "Ohayou gozaimasu~!"

The three blinked before the gender-bender perked up and waved wildly, greeting, "Ohayou, Aki-san~!"

Her long brown hair was clipped back by cute flower barrettes as her brown eyes lit up happily. Throwing her hands into the air, Aki allowed a cheerful smile to light up on her lips as she exclaimed, "Finally! You're the only one to actually call me that instead of stuffy, old 'Miura-san'!"

Walking up to the woman, Li grinned and knelt down, taking her hand in his, while declaring, "A lovely lady needs to be called by her lovely name."

Blushes went around, staining the three's cheeks, before Aki tapped the dark brunette's nose and tittered, "You're such a gentleman, Li-kun!

Said boy winked and responded, "And you are my l-"

"LI!" Came the loud squeak as Tsuna slammed the gender-bender to the floor.

POOF!

"Li-kun!" Aki shouted in surprise and worry while waving away the white smoke, "Are you alright?"

The dark brunette twitched and groaned as the lighter one scrambled off with rapid apologies. Fists placed on her hips, Aki frowned disapprovingly and tapped her foot against the tiled floor. Tsuna froze as Shouichi laughed nervously when her eyes landed on them for an explanation. Luckily, they were spared.

"TSUNA-FISHY~!" Li squealed as she tackled said boy into a hug and cuddled him, "TODAY'S A **GREAT** DAY FOR YOU!"

She pulled back slightly to shoot sparkly eyes of admiration towards the heavily blushing boy, "Not only did you master the '**AWESOME **POKE OF **DOOO~OOOM**~!'" She paused to catch her breath and grinned widely, "But, you also mastered the SUPER-SPECIAL-**AWESOME** SNEAK-TACKLE OF A **GLOMP**~! (All made by yours truly.)"

Cheeks burning by now, Tsuna smiled sheepishly, "A-Aa…"

Meanwhile, both he and the redhead inwardly wondered, 'How does she come up with these things…?'

"Li-kun!" The woman cut in while crouching down with furrowed brows, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked before Li shot her a charming smile, "Yuppers~! Thanks for asking, Aki-san!"

Aki sighed in relief before straightening up with a smile and ushering them to a table, "Still, rest up while I whip up something."

Cat-ears perked up as Li looked hopefully at the woman, "Hot cocoa?"

A laugh left her lips before Aki nodded in agreement, "Hot cocoa, it is then."

"WAI~!" Came the cheer as the gender-bender pumped her fists, singing, "Hot~ Choco~ Latte~ I love hot choco~ Latte~ So please don't say 'chotto matte'~!"

"Just how _do_ you come up with these things, Li-san?" Shouichi asked with a raised brow.

Swinging her legs lightly, Li leaned forward and whispered, "Do you _really_ wanna know?"

The boys blinked before nodding.

She paused to look around.

No one else was in listening distance.

She beckoned them closer.

They complied.

With a hand shielding her lips secretly, Li whispered, "It's 'cause…"

Lips curved up in a kittenish grin.

"… I am…"

Dark-brown eyes sparked.

"… just that…"

Her grin widened to impossible lengths.

"… **AWESOME**!"

THUD!

Both boys twitched from their positions on the floor as Li widened her eyes and asked (not) innocently, "Having fun down there?"

"LI-SAN!" The redhead roared, jumping to his feet with the intent of jumping her. The girl squeaked and scrambled off of her comfortable seat before laughing as she danced away from Shouichi's reach.

"Missed me~ Missed me~!" She sang as a frustrated whine left the redhead.

"You two…" Tsuna sighed while slumping over before heat blossomed over his cheeks at her next lyric.

"Now ya gotta kiss me~!"

"L-LI~!" The light brunette flustered, making her pause in confusion.

The redhead cinched the opportunity and tackled her.

… Right into Tsuna.

And down they all go in a pile of confusion.

Surprised dark-brown eyes met with equally shocked light-brown one as they silently stared into one another.

"Itai-tai-tai~!" Shouichi whimpered as he rolled off of the two and rubbed his head, "Well, I'm never doing that again. Hey, you two all... right…?"

He trailed off as green eyes blinked, "Eh...?"

His brain began to work furiously upon seeing the scene: arms on either side of the light-brown head, two pairs of legs tangled, forehead resting against another, darkening red cheeks… and lips not even a hair's width away.

His eyes bulged out in shock.

**_"EH?"_**

Just like that, Li tried to jump away gracefully.

Key word being 'tried'.

POOF!

White smoke billowed as a faint thud was heard, indicating a fall.

The obstruction began to clear as the gender-bender whimpered and rubbed his aching back.

Tsuna sat up and blinked.

He slowly brushed his fingers against his lips before his cheeks flared with heat.

"L-Li…! I-I…!" He tried to speak clearly, "Th-That is…! I-I…! U-Um…!"

But, ended up stammering incoherently.

The dark brunette blinked and watched the stuttering boy for a moment before rubbing his cheeks slowly. His cold fingers were a welcoming feeling to the embarrassing warmth. A faint pout flickered over his lips as Li rubbed harder at his blushing face. Slowly, the heat began to cool down.

Satisfied, Li grinned cheekily, "Doesn't this remind you of last year's Christmas?"

Tsuna turned the reddest of all shades of red as the dark brunette purred, "Don't be embarrassed, my little Tsuna-Fishy~!"

THUMP!

A loud laugh left his lips as Li clutched his stomach. Tears strayed from his closed eyes as the dark brunette tried to contain his amusement. Wiping away the wet trail, the gender-bender grinned and crooned, "Aw~ You didn't have to faint, Tsuna~!"

Of course, said boy didn't respond as silence reigned over the gender-bender.

Dark-brown eyes blinked before Li tilted his head and looked around, "Shou?"

They landed on the downed redhead before the gender-bender sweatdropped and sighed, "Not you too…"

"Hahi?" Came the surprised voice of Aki as she placed the tray of steaming drinks and sweet pastries onto a table, "What happened?"

Grinning sheepishly, Li shrugged, "Life?"

* * *

Having settled the two unconscious ones onto the more comfortable cushioned seats, Li and Aki sat across from each other, chatting aimlessly. Well, aimlessly for one anyway.

"Li-kun, you're currently going to Namishou, right?" Aki started as she absentmindedly stirred her hot chocolate.

"Yup!" Came the enthusiastic reply as the dark brunette licked his lips, "Tsuna's gonna go there too!"

The woman hummed a bit, glancing briefly at said brunette, before musing, "What about middle school?"

The question went over the boy's head as he focused on the sweets in front of him. With a fork, Li poked his slice of Angel Cake before cutting off a piece and plopping it into his mouth. Lips curved up in a kittenish grin, the gender-bender wriggled in his seat happily before swallowing, "Yummeh~!"

"Glad you like it, Li-kun!" The woman smiled with a blush before remembering and pressing on, "Have you figured out which middle school you want to go to?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked as the boy tapped his lips with his fork before shrugging, "Probably Namichuu."

Aki nearly fell over before sighing and thinking, 'Well, he's only a kid so, of course, he wouldn't care.'

"How about Midori Chuugakkou?," She started, leaning her chin on her enlaced finger, "It's a part of the Midori ladder school that my daughter's going to go to."

Li blinked again and tilted his head, "Your daughter?"

'YES!' Came the victorious shout in her mind as Aki chirped happily, "That's right! You haven't met her yet!"

Suddenly, she whipped out several photo albums from out of nowhere and smiled brightly, complete with sparkles and bubbles, as the gender-bender gaped in awe, 'She has hammer-space!"

Ignoring the shocked expression and dropping the books onto the table, Aki opened one and flipped to a picture of a cute brunette. Her dark hair was pulled into two pigtails and she was playing in the sand at a beach in a summer dress. A victorious smile alit her lips as she completely covered a portly man - her father, Li deducted from their similar traits - with the fine golden grains.

"This is Haru!" The woman gushed over her child, "She's a few months younger than you but isn't she lovely?"

"Heh~?" Li hummed as he leaned over for a closer look before smiling toothily, "She's cute!"

'YESYESYESYES~!' Came the exuberant chanting in the woman's mind, 'Step One: Give Li-kun a good impression of Haru - Complete!'

"But, how do you know she's going there?" Li asked, blinking widely, "Since she's younger than I, she won't start until next April, right? (Tsuna's the same…)"

Aki came to a halt in her cheer and stuttered before clearing her throat and assuring, "Haru's brighter than most! She already took a mock test and passed with flying colors~!"

Hearts floated around the woman as the dark brunette hummed in thought, "She's really smart."

"I failed my mock test for Namishou." He admitted while laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head, 'If it weren't for Mama's threats…'

A chill ran up his spine before he shrugged it off.

The hearts cracked at the blunt honesty and Aki mourned briefly before perking back up, "B-But you can always get better!"

Li stared at his cup before looking up and smiling with a nod, "That's true!"

The woman sighed in relief before nearly falling over when he continued.

"But I _definitely_ wanna stay with Tsuna and Shou!"

Tears of despair coursed down her cheeks as Aki sniffled secretly, 'Ah~ Friendship - I can't beat it but…'

'Nonetheless!' She clenched her fist as flames of determination burned, 'I will sway him!'

'But, how...?' Came the wondering thought as Aki watched the gender-bender.

Dark locks swaying gently, Li hummed softly as he lightly kicked his legs. He popped another piece of his sweet Angel Cake into his mouth before turning to his steaming hot chocolate. His eyes lit up as he pressed his hands against its warmth and brought the top of it to his lips. Parting them and tilting the cup ever so slightly, Li drank slowly and savored the sweetness as his eyes glowed in delight. He pulled away and smack his lips contentedly before smiling brightly at the woman, "Thank you again, Aki-san~!"

'So cuuu~uuute~!' Aki squealed inwardly with a wide smile while pressing her hands against her blushing cheeks, 'As expected! Children truly are little sweet and innocent angels! Just like that time…'

_"H-Hahi?"_

_OOF!_

_"Daijoubu desu ka, josei-san?"_

_Brown eyes snapped open in surprise to meet with sharp dark-brown ones._

_"H-Hai desu!" Aki startled before blushing upon noticing that she was in the arms of a beautiful woman, "A-Ano…"_

_An elegant brown raised before the stranger helped her back onto her feet._

_"Ah! G-Gomen nasai!" Aki stuttered as she crouched down and scrambled about, "I knocked over everything!"_

_Slim fingers ran through her long black locks before the woman also crouched down to help, "Don't worry about it. It was an accident, wasn't it?"_

_"H-Hahi?" Aki squeaked again before bowing her head, "W-Well, yes, but-"_

_"If it's an accident," The stranger cut her off, "Then it's fine."_

_"Y-Yes!" The brunette straightened up and bowed briefly, "Th-Thank you and s-sorry again!"_

_An index finger lifted her chin as her wide eyes met with narrow ones._

_A charming smile played on the ravenette's lips, "Be more careful, miss."_

_Her blush deepened before she squeaked out an affirmative and quickly dashed away._

_'Waaa~ I can't believe I met a bijin!'_

_She never noticed the woman looking confusedly at her with a green object in hand._

_Nor did she see her flick the forehead of a child with similar eyes…_

_"That will be 3720 yen, miss." The cashier stated with a smile as she rang up the grocery._

_"Hai~!" Came the cheerful reply from Aki as she ruffled through her purse._

_Brown eyes roamed over the variety of objects before widening in surprise as heat blossomed over her cheeks._

_"H-Hahi?" She squeaked, rummaging through her bag quickly again before freezing in thought, 'Did I forget to pick it up?'_

_A frown soon graced the cashier's lips as she caught onto the brunette's problem._

_The blush darkened and threatened to become permanent as she attempted to stutter out her excuse under the cold glare._

_Being put under pressure, Aki became acutely aware of the growing whispers as her vision blurred._

_'No!' She thought to herself, clenching her purse tightly, 'I am an adult. I must be responsible.'_

_She closed her eyes, about to bow and apologize for wasting the worker's time, when a tug on her dress forced her eyes open._

_Watery brown eyes met with familiar, but more innocent, dark-brown ones._

_Green then filled her vision._

_Blinking away the lingering tears, Aki gasped in delightful surprise, "My wallet!"_

_Lips curved up in a kittenish grin as a breathless but happy chirp resounded, "Here you go, miss~!"_

_She curved her fingers around the money carrier and bowed lowly, "Thank you very much for returning this!"_

_"Hehe~!" Came the somewhat embarrassed laugh, "I'm just glad that I got to return it!"_

_Aki looked up and froze in surprise._

_In front of her was a child, no older than five or six, with (what she thought to be) the most angelic and innocent smile ever._

_"You walked reeeaaally fast!" He complimented while waving his arms, "I was so surprised I nearly lost sight of ya!"_

_'S-So cute!' The woman couldn't help but think as she was nearly swooned at the bright grin directed towards her when a cough snapped her out of it._

_Facing the cold cashier again, Aki fumbled with her wallet while shrinking away upon becoming aware of the stares and whispers once more._

_Dark-brown eyes blinked at the woman's embarrassment before glancing over to the cashier._

_A caret-frown made itself known as the child caught sight of the puckered scowl and round cheeks._

_Suddenly, a glint entered his eyes as the frown tipped upwards in a mischievous grin._

_Seeing as how Aki was preoccupied, the child snuck around the register and crouched to the floor. His hands stuffed into his pockets before pulling out an interesting container of pale liquid. Silently unscrewing the top, he secretly tipped the container as the floor appeared to shimmer before stuffing the container back into its hiding spot and resuming his place beside Aki who was struggling to hold her bags in her arms._

_Grinning widely, the child grabbed one and tugged the woman forward, chirping, "I'll help!"_

_Cheeks warming again, Aki smiled brightly, "Arigatou gozaimasu!"_

_"Ah!" She suddenly remembered, "Namae wa nan desu ka?"_

_"Ora wa Li!" He responded with a smile so bright that the entire area seemed to have lit up with sparkles and bubbles, "Sasaki Li!"_

_Aki squealed happily and dropped to his level, hugging him tightly to her chest, "You're so cute~ and adorable~ and helpful~ and sweet~!"_

_As she continued, she never heard the high-pitched womanly shriek from inside the supermarket._

_Nor did she hear the heavy crash of a weight falling._

_Nor the worried exclamations of various voices followed by more commotion._

_And she most definitely never noticed the canines that flashed when Li grinned impishly._

'Waaa~ Li-kun's so cute~!' Aki wriggled to herself in happiness before snapping out of it and gaining that plotting glint in her eyes again as she silently declared, 'I _must_ make him fall for my lovely Haru!'

The fire burned again before extinguishing when the tinkling of the door's bell rang.

"I want a large expresso!" A man's voice rang out, "Straight - no milk or cream or any of that non… sense…."

He trailed off as sweat poured down. The man cowered at the dark aura crackling around the woman. Her hair sway with the murderous intent as her barrettes came loose.

"What-" She whispered with flashing eyes, "-was that, _sir_?"

He dabbed away his sweat and stammered out a response as Aki complained inwardly, 'WHY - oh - WHY DID YOU HAVE TO INTERRUPT MY PLANS YOU SON OF A B-!'

She suddenly cut off her thoughts and breathed deeply, calming herself and fixing her appearance, before glancing discreetly at the children.

Li continued to snack at his own leisure pace with an oblivious grin as his friends slept.

Aki sighed in relief before turning back to the terrified man and smiling tightly, "A large, black expresso with nothing else, correct?"

An arctic wind blew in between them.

He nodded hesitantly before blinking in surprise when a cup was shoved into his hands.

"Then, here you go~!" She sang, still holding that chilling smile.

A frigid blizzard stormed by before the man squeaked, paid and left in a flash.

Aki blinked in surprise before startling, running out and shouting, "SIR! YOU PAID TOO MUCH!"

"KEEP IT!" Was the fading reply as the man disappeared.

Blinking again, the woman looked down at the currency before shrugging, "Okay."

Stuffing the 500 yen coin into her pocket, Aki was about to return to the children when the door's bell jingled, signifying another customer. She sighed sadly and resigned herself to tending to the influx of customers. Influencing her daughter's love life will have to wait until another day…

It was around seven in the morning now and the business was beginning to pick up. The bright sun's light filtered through the clear windows, lighting up the homey cafe, as the streets outside were slowly filling up with a variety of people. Li watched the woman work for a moment before his eyes flickered over to the sleeping boys. They leaned against each other, hair mussed, and breathed peacefully while unaware of the low buzzing of conversation.

A faint pout flickered over his lips before Li sighed and rested his chin on his folded arms, sulking, 'Meanies. Leaving me to be bored by myself.'

He turned so that his cheek rested against his arm instead and continued to watch his best friends.

Their relaxed demeanor…

Their peaceful expressions…

Their gentle emotions...

Their soft breathing…

Cheeks dusting red, Li attempted to hide his face as his heart thumped quickly. His eyes flickered outside, landing on a faceless woman leaning over a flower pot. Her pale hands gently scooped the snow away, revealing a brilliant yellow color. Slim fingers caressed each petal as the wilted flower seemed to have risen up to the warm touch.

A lone yellow tulip thriving in a dreary world.

Li marveled the small beauty from afar before pursing his lips flatly. Dark-brown eyes returned to the inside and landed on the sleeping two. His hands gripped onto his arms tightly.

Their warming smiles…

Their beautiful laughter…

Their beckoning voice...

Their happiness.

'No matter what...'

Resolve glowed in dark-brown eyes.

'I want to protect their everything.'

* * *

(Extended Ending)

The scent of faint roast...

The aroma of sweet cocoa...

Something was tickling their noses.

Sleepy eyes blinked blearily.

They froze at the sight.

The chocolate-brown color…

A pair of big, angular circles…

Two long, wiry appendages above…

Six crooked limbs, three on each winged side…

**_"GYAAA~AAA~!"_**

Came the ear-piercing screams before-

THUNK!

-the redhead and light brunette fell over in another dead faint, foaming from fright.

A pout flickered over the dark brunette's lips as he sulked, "You didn't hafta react like _that_, meanies!"

No reply came from the twitching boys.

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

Ignoring the unconscious two...

Li poked the treats in the metal container before musing aloud, "Mama's gonna kill me for stealing her goods."

Briefly, a foreboding chill ran up his spine, making him rub at the goosebumps that appeared.

Cold sweat trickled down his face before the dark brunette shook it off and popped one into his mouth.

Lips curved up in a kittenish grin as Li wriggled around in his seat and hummed happily.

"Mm~ Chocolate covered crickets~!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I FOUND ATL! (Anyone who follows me on _deviantArt_ will understand this reference.)

So, yeah, my muse is back but he keeps chewing through the leash. (Whoever said that bunnies are sweet lied - they're evil. Or, at least, my redheaded bunny-muse is evil...)

Anyway... I made a reference to Kuroshitsuji (because I was watching it while typing this chapter up), a dramatized version of an old memory (completely full of pokes and pain), I made up Miura Aki because they never did show Haru's mother but I figured they'd be somewhat similar (going back on my idea that family members act similar) and the pale liquid is cooking/food oil since it's slippery and some are actually close to colorless. Lastly, chocolate crickets are supposedly yummy but they're pretty expensive so I won't be trying some anytime soon. *sighs in disappointment*

So! I hope this chapter was, at least, satisfactory. If not, then I apologize. (I thought that it was pretty cute.)

Moving along... For those who have yet to check out my deviantArt account, check it out - I put up a bunch of pictures for TJoM (and one for each of my other story save for THo74.) I got some pretty good feedback so I don't think you'll be disappointed! At least, I hope not... *sweat* (Plus you can see how I look like! Well, my avatar, anyway.)

Now then, I'm currently working on the next chapter but, with college and everything, I'm a bit back up... *sweats at paper mountain on desk* I'm trying though!

And, once more, thank you for reading/reviewing/etc-ing _The Journal of Memories_!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Hi-mi-tsu~! - Se-cr-et~!

(2) "... So please don't say 'chotto matte'~!" - "... So please don't say 'just wait'~!"

(3) Midori Chuugakkou - Green Middle School; It's the actual school that Haru goes to in the anime (as stated by Reborn!Wikia).

(4) "Daijoubu desu ka, josei-san?" - "Are you okay, miss?"

(5) Bijin - Beautiful Person (May sometimes be used to refer to woman but typically without regard to gender.)

(6) "Namae wa nan desu ka?" - "What's your name?"

**

* * *

Preview:**

I'm planning on doing something for New Years... with lots of foreshadowing... don't know if it'll work out that way though. *sweat*


	38. Event 30: A 1000 Words, A 1000 Meanings

Date: Friday, November 19, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 30: A Thousand Words, A Thousand Meanings._

* * *

"Waaaiii~!" Came an excited cry from a large group, "It's such a _great_ day today!"

An exasperated sigh was released by the sole redhead, "Exactly _how_ is it a 'great' day today?"

"What d'ya mean, Shou?" Li stretched with a kittenish grin, "A _great_ day's a _great_ day~!"

"Li-san," Shouichi deadpanned, "It's cloudy, cold and looks like it's gonna rain."

A pause before dark-brown eyes shifted away, "… So…?"

The redhead made a motion to strangle the dark brunette when the lighter one piped up, "It's great 'cause it's New Years!"

Another pause before-

"Tsuna-Fish~!"

-Li glomped the light brunette, rubbing his cheek against the rapidly-turning-red boy, "You're _absolutely_ correct~!"

Green eyes rolled upwards before Shouichi poked the gender-bender and teased, "Or maybe it's 'cause there's no school."

His answer was a very (im)mature raspberry.

Suddenly, a fist knocked into Li's head as he whined, "Mama~! Why d'ya do that?"

Said ravenette raised a brow before tugging on her child's ear, "It seems you need more training, Kyuu-chan, if you can't even handle _that_."

"Gerk!" Came the choked response before Li tightened his grip around Tsuna, shaking his head vigorously, "Iyada! You already made me spar with Kyouya-nii for _five hours_ straight!"

Ignoring the fact that Tsuna was turning blue, Fang tugged harshly as a vein throbbed on her temple.

She smiled tightly, "That was punishment for stealing my sweets."

Waterfalls coursed down his cheeks as the dark brunette whined, "But you never _ate_ them~!"

A dark aura began to crackle around her as Fang glared down, "And if I were saving them…?"

Lips pursed in a sulking manner, "They were gonna go bad."

Knives suddenly glinted in her hands as Fang attempted to mutilate/discipline her child but Daisuke held her back and smile brightly (greatly contrasting the two's disposition), "The breeze is gentle enough to play hanetsuki today so why don't we split into teams?"

"I CALL KYUU-CHAN!" Came the sudden declaration as a blur tackled Li to the ground.

Calming down, Fang sheathed her weapons and smirked at her twitching child, "Having fun down there?"

"Of course~!" Kiyoshi started before keeling over when a small fist met his face as Li snapped, "NOT!"

The dark brunette scrambled out from under his brother's weight before latching onto his counterpart, "I wanna be with Tsuna!"

Said boy blushed brightly before paling when Kiyoshi steel-grey eyes glared at him with killing intent.

Shouichi wisely kept his mouth shut despite wanting to ask, 'What about me?'

Fang grabbed the back of Li's shirt and lifted him up easily while drawling, "You're not with Tsunayoshi-kun."

"EH?" Came the surprised cry before he waved an arm at his mother, whining, "WHY NOOOOOT~?"

"Because." Came the short response.

"That's not an answer~!" Li whined, struggling in his mother's grasp, before turning to his father and pouting, "Papa~ Mama's being mean again~!"

Daisuke laughed heartily before sweatdropping when his wife's dark-brown eyes steeled at him.

Rubbing his spiky head, the oldest Sasaki questioned, "We're playing singles instead…?"

The glare disappeared as Fang smiled sickeningly sweet, "But of course~!"

"NUUUUU~!" Li opposed as he waved an arm towards his capturer, "I REFUSE TO GO ALONG WITH THE SHE-DEV-"

A fist silenced him as he dangled from Fang's grasp with swirls for eyes as she sang, "And that's the plan~!"

She then glared at the others, "Agreed?"

The boys shivered at the deadly gaze but nodded quickly in agreement.

'S-Scary!' Came their rarely used male-telepathy.

Meanwhile, Li slurred, "Hoi..."

* * *

"TAKE THIS!"

A bright red shuttlecock flew towards Fang who rolled her eyes and gracefully hit it back, drawling, "Too slow, Kyuu-chan."

"You-!" A low growl sounded as a vein irked on the child's temple.

As the shuttlecock came flying back, Li jumped and slammed his paddle into the red ball with such a force that it would have cried if it wasn't for the fact that it was an inanimate object.

Sadly, the same result occurred as the ravenette simply flicked her wrist and sent it back again.

And what made it even more disappointing was that Fang was barely trying if her yawn was any indication.

Off to the side, the other males couldn't help but sweatdrop at the one-sidedness of it all with Li running around like an enraged monkey and Fang dangling the bait known as provocation.

Fang hid a smirk behind another yawn, teasing lightly, "Ara~? Could it be that you got weaker~?"

Another vein throbbed on the child as he snapped, "HAVE NOT!"

The shuttlecock flew in another arc as Fang continued, "But your hits are softer than a feather's~!"

A third vein appeared on the younger gender-bender, "OR MAYBE YOU'RE A RHINO!"

Fang's smirk grew wider as she responded, "A rhino's better than a hummingbird."

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING GIRLY?" Li roared, smashing with all his might.

BAM!

The red ball of fluff implanted itself comfortably on the ravenette's face.

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Silence reigned over the group as fear began to creep up.

A dark aura began to seep from the woman as she twitched.

The shuttlecock fell to the ground.

The males began to inch away.

Several veins irked dangerously on her as she raised crouched to the ground.

The group turned and began their robotic escape.

A clawed hand grabbed the shuttlecock and squeezed it tightly (to the point that Li could've sworn it _squeaked_) before pulling back.

WHAM!

The red blur slammed into the back of Li's head and bounced off as he tumbled into Tsuna who stumbled at the impact and flailed onto Shouichi who then tripped onto Kiyoshi who grabbed onto Daisuke who was caught off-guard with the sudden weight and-

THUMP!

-down they all went in a pile of tangled and pained limbs.

The shuttlecock then landed in Daisuke's open palm, making him blink.

A hundred and twenty yards away, Fang dusted off her hands.

Suddenly, the man realized what had just transpired and laughed loudly.

"TOUCHDOWN~!"

A smirk revealed her canines.

* * *

Li nursed the bumps on his head, courtesy of his beautiful but dangerous mother, and sulked beneath a seemingly random tree (which was actually the very same one that Kiyoshi had sulked under prior to the great hanetsuki battle).

Incoherent mutterings escaped Li's pouting lips.

Nearby, Shouichi shook his head before patting the dark brunette's head.

This earned him an even more exaggerated (if possible) version of Li's pout, making him laugh.

The gender-bender huffed at the action before turning away and hunching over.

Green eyes shining with mirth, Shouichi forced himself to calm down before encouraging, "Look on the bright side, Li-san!"

Li simply huffed again, "_What_ bright side?"

The redhead grinned cheekily, "It's only _three_ hours of training instead of _five_!"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

"Yeah." Li deadpanned, "Only three hours for the _rest of break_ instead of five in _one day_."

Tsuna sweatdropped at the contrasting emotions displayed between his best friends before poking the gender-bender and asking, "Is it really that bad? Training?"

The result was instantaneous as Li hunched over deeply with a heavy dark cloud descending over him. Violet and indigo will-o'-wisps danced mockingly around him (to the point that one can almost _hear_ them). This was followed by his tending to a variety of poisonous mushrooms at the root of the tree and low mumblings of a variety of not-so-nice words in several dialects of Chinese before switching over to Spanish.

The two normal (well, _more_ normal, anyway) boys sweatdropped a storm before sighing to themselves.

They then looked over to one another before nodding in determination.

Crouching down besides the depressed brunette, the boys slung their arm over his slumped shoulders and huddled like a trio of cute, fluffy, baby penguins on ice.

Dark-brown eyes blinked in surprise at the sudden warmth before glancing between the boys on either side of Li.

Their cheeks were flushed red (so red, in fact, that Shouichi's glasses even fogged up) and their eyes were closed in embarrassment.

_Doki doki!_

Heat creeped up in his own cheeks before-

POOF!

-Li returned to her original gender.

Her lips curved into a wide smile as her heart warmed and thumped faster.

She buried her face in her arms but failed at hiding her purely elated face as she whispered.

"Tsuna… Shou… Arigatou. Hontou ni..."

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Hontou ni…"

Her hands gripped onto her arms tightly before-

"DAI~SUKI~!"

-she tackled her best friends into a hug which caused them to-

THUMP!

-promptly faint from shock.

"Mou~!" Li whined as she poked the boys, "Why d'ya have to faint on me _again_?"

Her eyes trained on their dizzying eyes before she plopped onto the grass and sulked, "_Now_ who am I gonna fly my kite with-"

"ME, OF COURSE-"

SLAM!

Li's sneaker-clad foot stopped her brother short.

Tears flowed down his face as Kiyoshi whimpered, "You can be so cruel, Kyuu-chan…"

A vein throbbed.

"… Urusai."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Most of my paperwork's done now! :'D

Hopefully, I'll be able to write and update a bit faster now but I'm also focusing on my original story _One+Seven_ and my new fanfiction _Resonate_ as well as my other fanfictions and all the drawings I've been doing. ^^'

Speaking of which, if you'd like to take a look at my artworks, please search up "Kira-Tsume" on DeviantArt! (I've finally put up an artwork for THo74!)

Again, thank you for reading/reviewing/etc-ing _The Journal of Memories_!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Iyada! - No way!

(2) hanetsuki - a Japanese version of badminton that's typically played on New Years

(3) Hoi.../Mou~! - just sounds so no real meanings :P

(4) Doki doki! - onomatopoeia for the thumping of the heart

(5) Arigatou. - Thank you.

(6) Hontou ni... - Really...

(7) DAI~SUKE~! - I LOVE YOU~!

(8) ... Urusai. - ... Zip it.

**

* * *

Preview:**

Planning on writing another birthday-fic but focusing on family interaction. Especially with a certain sky lark...

Progress: Trying to wear away that thing known as "Writer's Block" with my Mark XIX Desert Eagle in .357 Magnum. Sadly, it's not working very well with this chapter... On the brighter side, I typed up a rough draft of one of my later chapters! :D But that really doesn't matter if I don't finish the one I'm supposed to finish... -.-;


	39. Event 31: The Wren And The Lark

Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 31: The Wren And The Lark._

* * *

Ding-Dong.

The doorbell rang through the Sasaki household as the man of the family called out from the kitchen, "Kyuu-chan, can you get that?"

"HAI~!" Came the exuberant answer from upstairs as the youngest slid down the handrail of the staircase and leapt off, landing in a soft crouch, before bouncing towards the front door.

Throwing the door open, the dark brunette cheered, "KONNICHIWA-!"

WHAM!

Face meeting the floor, Li twitched as a bump grew on her head.

Three shadows passed overhead before she lifted her head with tears in her eyes, "Hidoi yo, Kyouya-nii!"

Said male simply snorted at his younger cousin before a fist came down on his head.

Reacting immediately, Kyouya slammed his tonfa upwards but it was caught by his older cousin.

"Yo, Kyo-Kyo." Kiyoshi greeted casually before doubling over when the other tonfa slammed into his stomach.

Soft giggles escaped from behind a soft hand as Li blinked before grinning widely and waving happily, "Konnichiwa, Nadeshiko-baa! Hisoka-jii!"

Hibari Nadeshiko, formerly Sasaki Nadeshiko, was a petite woman with long brown hair, meticulously tied back, and bright grey eyes; she was dressed in a lavender kimono. Hibari Hisoka, on the other hand, was tall and imposing with short black hair and sharp blue eyes; he donned a white button-down and black slacks.

"Konnichiwa, Kyuu-chan." Nadeshiko smiled while crouching down, rubbing the little one's head, "How've you been?"

"A-Okay!" Li responded cheerfully, jumping to her feet, "Kyouya-nii's attacks don't hurt!"

"That's good to hear." The woman closed her eyes in a smile, never noticing how Li stuck her tongue at Kyouya who glared right back.

A whimper from the ignored Kiyoshi caused Nadeshiko to turn to the boy with a worried expression, " Ki-kun?"

She wasn't able to go much further as Hisoka towered over the young teenager, blue eyes glinting dangerously.

Immediately, a squeak left Kiyoshi's lips as he ducked behind Li, who froze at the bloodlust rolling off of the man.

Tears trailed down their cheeks.

'K-Kowaii!' Was their unanimous thought.

Luckily, the threat was interrupted.

"Onee-san~!" Came the joyous interruption as Daisuke emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron before holding out his arms, "I'm glad you can make it!"

"Dai-kun~! Happy birthday!" Nadeshiko cooed, embracing the taller but younger man, "How has my darling little brother been?"

"I've been fine, thank you." Daisuke pulled back a bit and smiled, "How about you?"

"I've been fine and so has my love and, of course, Kyo-kun~!" The woman chirped, linking arms with her brother.

The older siblings soon delved into an excited chatter, leaving the others to stare blankly as they were left behind.

The killing intent intensified to the point that even Kyouya, who should've been used to his father, flinched and backed away.

Together, the three younger ones hid behind the couch in the living room, peeking over the backrest to look at the brooding man.

"Oh~?" Came the amused humming of the final member of the Sasaki family as she descended the stairs, "Looks like you're all here already."

Blue eyes blinked before Hisoka nodded curtly at the woman in greeting.

Fang returned the nod with one of her own before raising a brow at the children, asking, "What the hell are y'all doing?"

"Hiding." Came the immediate response from Li as Kyouya snorted and stepped away from the girl.

He crossed his arms and turned away, as if he weren't associating with them just seconds ago.

Fang chuckled as a dark aura began to exude from the man next to her before drawling, "And why are you hiding?"

Before the dark brunette could respond, her mouth was covered by her brother's hands as he laughed nervously, "Just playing Hide-and-Seek, Mama!"

She raised another brow as Li struggled in her brother's grip, color draining from her face, before Fang shrugged and patted the man on the shoulder, "Come on, Hisoka-san, let the kids be. I'm sure you want to be with your wife."

The dark man glared at the woman, who simply sauntered off with a satisfied smirk, before turning to the kids again.

A tense silence ensued as they locked gazes.

"Don't crowd."

That said and done, Hisoka mimicked Fang's actions into the kitchen.

As the suffocating atmosphere lifted, Kiyoshi sighed in relief before sulking, "Why's your Papa so creepy, Kyo-Kyo?"

A tonfa slammed into his head before the older boy snarled, "What was _that_ for?"

"Hn." Came the ever-intelligible answer as Kyouya settled himself on the windowsill, glaring at the other before his eyes flickered down briefly.

Catching that motion, Kiyoshi glanced down himself before jumping away and paling with a screech.

"KYUU-CHAN?"

Too bad, her foaming mouth couldn't respond.

* * *

"So, Dai-kun," Nadeshiko started as she watched her brother, "How do you like it here in Namimori?"

"It's very peaceful." The spiky brunette grinned, "Completely different from New York City."

"But it's a good different, right?" Came the hopeful tone as the woman placed her hands over her brother's hands.

Daisuke blinked before smiling softly, "Yes, it is."

Dark-brown eyes watched the gentle man before averting with hidden emotions.

Hisoka caught onto the faint movement and raised a brow, watching closely as his wife continued to speak.

"Will you finally be settling down then?"

The question startled her brother as he paused, contemplating his answer.

Her grip tightened on his larger hands as she whispered pleadingly, "Daisuke, otouto-chan, if not, please tell me _why_?"

Daisuke hesitated before holding the older woman's hands and smiling charmingly, "There's still much to know about the world, Onee-sama."

"That's true, but…" Nadeshiko bit the bottom of her lips, "… with how much you move around, I rarely talk - much less _see_ - you anymore."

To that, the spiky brunette had no response.

After all, it was the truth.

His grey eyes trailed over to Fang continued to keep her eyes astray before returning to his sister's.

With another smile, Daisuke patted Nadeshiko's hands and smiled once more, "Don't worry, Onee-sama. Besides…"

He trailed off and grinned a rather boyish grin, "Aren't you here for the cake?"

A blush blossomed across her cheeks as Nadeshiko lightly smacked her brother, "I'm not obsessed!"

"Your words, not mine!" Daisuke laughed, dodging the feigned assault and moving towards the kitchen counter.

Nadeshiko huffed before relaxing when Hisoka placed a hand on her shoulder.

Meeting eyes with her husband, the brunette allowed tranquility to come over her and settled for watching her brother bustle around the kitchen before getting up and rolling up her sleeves.

Blue eyes watched as Nadeshiko poked her brother in the side, making him jump and pout, before the siblings worked side by side on the half-made cake; the eyes then turned to the quiet ravenette.

Enlacing his fingers, Hisoka rested his chin on them and narrowed his eyes.

Catching onto the attention, Fang frowned inwardly and narrowed her own eyes at him.

Tension mounted between the adults as they stared each other down.

One was secretly an assassin.

The other… was publicly a cop.

But neither one was faltering in this silent interrogation.

'Her eyes…' Hisoka frowned lightly, '… are nothing like those insects.'

In his line of work, Hisoka had dealt with a variety of criminals in Namimori but none held a snowflake of the chill that resided within Fang's eyes.

Cold, unmoving, and able to freeze most men.

Of course, Hibari Hisoka was not like most men.

If anything, her dark eyes fueled him to find out more.

After all, he was justice.

And it was his duty to dig up the deepest, the darkest, and the most disgusting secrets of all.

Slowly, a smirk came over his frown as anticipation at this challenge arose.

'Sasaki Xue Fang ka? How interesting-'

His thoughts cut off as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

The atmosphere and glares disappeared as if they never happened in the first place.

Glancing to the side, he locked eyes with his wife's worried grey ones.

Blue eyes slid close as Hisoka gave a barely perceived shake of his head.

Nadeshiko glanced over at Fang to see her occupied with teasing Daisuke by swiping some icing off of the cake before sighing silently and backing off.

When her husband knows the whole truth, that's when she'll ask.

Until then…

Her hands tightened into fists.

… she'd have to wait and pray that everything's just due to paranoia.

* * *

POW!

A vein throbbed irritatingly on Li's temple as he kicked Kiyoshi over before jumping on his sisters back.

"You."

Bam.

"Stupid."

Wham.

"Idiot."

Slam.

Kyouya watched the siblings interact with amusement clear on his face and a fanged smirk as expected of a carnivore.

Huffing heavily, Li jumped off and onto the couch before blowing a raspberry at the girl.

Now, you may be wondering when the two switched genders.

For Li, it was when he revived and started his… educating endeavor.

For Kiyoshi, it was during this… educating endeavor (hint hint).

But, moving along, Li turned to her quiet cousin and grinned, "Ne, ne, Kyouya-nii! What do you wanna do now?"

Immediately, the wooden tonfa appeared in his hands.

"Train-"

"No."

Came the automatic response from both siblings as they hid behind the couch and away from the carnivorous child.

A vein irked on the Kyouya's temple as he stepped forward with a brooding aura, not unlike his father's.

Sweat trickled down the siblings' face as they backed away.

One foot forward.

Two feet back.

The aura filled with killing intent darkened.

Then, the carnivore pounced.

* * *

"IYAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAA~!"

Daisuke and Nadeshiko blinked at the ear-piercing screech as the other two calmly sipped at their tea.

The sound of stampede filled the household before a cloud of dust barreled into the kitchen.

Immediately, the adults cleared the table as it went flying towards the window.

The glass panel shattered as the wooden object landed with a crash.

A vein irked on Fang's temple as Daisuke sweatdropped.

Meanwhile, Nadeshiko shook her head as Hisoka raised a brow imperceptibly.

The younger siblings were sprawled out on the floor with swirling eyes.

"H-Hoi…"

Came the incoherent slur of the two as Kyouya sauntered in.

The child-carnivore shared a smirk with his father-carnivore before mother-omnivore smacked the latter with a reproving glare though amusement was obvious.

The Hibari males snorted simultaneously-

"Hn."

-and the reaction-

"DON'T TONFA US!"

-was instantaneous.

SLAM!

No, they didn't get "tonfa'd" per se…

The hilt of two daggers rubbed harshly against the younger siblings heads as Fang towered over them.

A dark and murderous aura exuded from her very being as she growled.

"What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?"

Tears coursed down their faces as they whimpered.

"Please don't kill us, Mama~!"

Her eyes flashed as she grinned widely, showing off her canines proudly, "Oh, don't worry, I won't kill you."

Her grin turned exponentially more sadistic.

"I'll just _train_ you to _hell_ and _back_ - to the _thirteenth_ power!"

"SOU NAAAAAAAAA~!"

"KEKEKEKE~!"

Who knows if they'll survive this...?

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"Y'all are slowing down." Fang droned, keeping a firm eye on her children, "Hurry it up!"

_Huff huff~!_

"Isn't this a bit _too_ extreme?" Nadeshiko sweatdropped, with furrowed brows, "They're just children…"

_Puff puff~!_

"This'll keep 'em from slacking off again." Came the airy reply as the ravenette leaned back.

_Huff puff~!_

The brunette sighed exasperatedly before turning to her brother, "Dai-kun, is this really okay?"

_Puff huff~!_

Daisuke chuckled softly, "They're strong. They won't die."

_Wheeze~!_

He sweatdropped at the sound and added, "… I hope."

Hisoka simply sorted in amusement.

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

The people?

Four adults and three kids.

The place?

Namimori, Japan.

The situation?

Poor, poor Li and Kiyoshi must cart said adults and the sadistic child-carnivore around all of Namimori while a slice of Daisuke's delicious birthday cake dangled in front of them.

Pity them.

Laugh at them.

Just make sure you're _not_ them.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I was facing a writer's block with this chapter but, after roleplaying on deviantArt, I was inspired to write this! :D Aren't y'all glad? xD

Speaking of which, if you'd like to take a look at my artworks, please search up "Kira-Tsume" on DeviantArt or click on my Homepage! (Also I've finally put up an artwork for THo74!)

Again, thank you for reading/reviewing(**hint hint**)/etc-ing _The Journal of Memories_!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) HAI~! - OKAY~!

(2) KONNICHIWA-! - HELLO-!

(3) Hidoi yo, Kyouya-nii! - So cruel, Kyouya-nii!

(4) IYAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAA~! - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!

(5) SOU NAAAAAAAAA~! - NO WAAAAAAAAAY~!

**

* * *

Preview:**

WARNING: Naive Li + Tricky Iemitsu + Sweet Sake = DRUNK DISASTER!


	40. Event 32: Stupid Drunken Old Man!

Date: Thursday, December 23, 2010  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 32: Stupid Drunken Old Man!_

* * *

"NANI KORE?"

The panicked shout came from Tsuna as he gripped at his fluffy hair in horror.

"Nya~?" Came a slurred but familiar voice.

"L-LI?" The light brunette cried out with a pale face.

Said dark brunette was clinging onto Nana's dress while simpering.

The housewife simply tilted her head and asked with an oblivious smile, "What's wrong, Tsu-kun, Shou-kun?"

Shouichi sweatdropped at the woman's cheerfulness before deadpanning, "She's drunk… Li, that is."

The light brunette continued to gape (much like the Tsuna-Fish he is) but, before he could get a word in-

"BWAHAHAHA~!"

-the tall, broad-shouldered and blonde man in the room bursted out in loud laughter.

"YOU WANT MORE?"

This snapped Tsuna out of his shock as he waved his arms frantically, "YAMETE KUDASAI, TOU-SAN!"

Sawada Iemitsu, father of Tsuna, simply threw back his head and laughed again as Shouichi twitched in thought, 'Poor, Tsunayoshi-kun. He has a drunk of a father.'

A vein irked on the light brunette's temple before he turned to the woman and whined, "Kaa-san~!"

Nana giggled before flapping a hand at her husband, "Now, now, dear. Don't give Kyuu-chan too much."

"Yes~ my darling~!" Came the lovestruck reply, causing the woman to blush girlishly and titter, "You're so sweet, love~!"

Tsuna slumped over and cried to himself as Shouichi patted his shoulder in sympathy, secretly relieved that his family was nowhere near as crazy as his youngest friend's.

But the romantic interaction was interrupted when a cushion hit the man smack-dab in the face.

The boys looked up to see Nana covering her surprised expression with her hands and Iemitsu looking a bit dazed; whether it was from the alcoholic buzz or from the cushion attack was completely debatable.

Meanwhile, Li was standing shakily in front of Nana, glaring at the man.

"You-HIC!" She started slurring while hiccuping, "N-Nana-swa-an i-is - HIC- m- m- m- HIC - MINE!"

The gender-bender swayed a bit before abruptly straightening up to point and declare dramatically, "NO TOUCHY!"

That said, she stumbled back to the woman and clung onto her, whining with tears in her eyes, "D-Don't ever - HIC - l-leave me! HIC - Nana-swaaaaaaaaan~!"

"Squee~!" The woman swooned over the cute expression and cuddled the girl close, "Don't worry, Kyuu-chan~! I won't ever leave you~!"

"YAAAAAA- HIC -AAAAAAY~!" Came the slurred cheer before-

POOF!

-white smoke filled the living room.

Surprised coughs resounded before Iemitsu's boisterous laughter and comment was heard.

"The Sasaki really can't hold their liquor-!"

Another pillow slammed into his face, courtesy of Tsuna.

As the soft object fell down, the blonde couldn't help but cry, "Even my cute son's turned against me~!"

"Well you shouldn't have gotten Li drunk!" Came the snappy response.

Shouichi sighed as the son and the father started to argue (if you can even call _it_ - a kid berating his father's action as said man sniffled proudly about how his son was growing up - an argument) before turning to the woman and gender-bender.

Li was still blubbering on about how Nana belonged to him and how the "Bearded Wine" wasn't allowed to take her away.

Seeing as how the craziness may never end, Shouichi plopped himself near the more calm duo.

The action caught the dark brunette's attention as his head snapped towards the redhead.

Clouded dark-brown eyes watched Shouichi closely as the bespectacled boy sweatdropped and asked, "What is it?"

Li stayed silent and continued to stare at the redhead.

Shouichi fiddled with his glasses, wondering what was wrong.

One moment…

Two moment…

THUD!

Tsuna paused and looked away from his chortling father before gaping at the scene.

A kittenish smile played on Li's lips as he cuddled the blushing redhead and cooed, "My yummy tomato~!"

Tsuna fell over as the gender-bender continued on:

"Yummy, yummy tomato~  
My lovely, darling tomato~  
Yum, yum, sweet and juicy~  
Oh how I love my red Sho-mato~!"

"L-Li-san!" Shouichi struggled in the tight embrace, thoroughly flustered, "I'm NOT a tomato!"

The protest went over the gender-bender's head as he continued to sing off-key while slurring his words.

A dark aura hung over the light brunette as he listened to the chaos around him.

His father thought it was funny to let the seven-year-old drink sweet sake.

His mother's going about as if it's normal for the seven-year-old to receive alcohol.

His redheaded friend's dying from an overdose of love via a tight hug from the drunk seven-year-old.

And his best friend IS the drunk seven-year-old!

… Oi vey…

Tsuna's definitely got his work cut out for him.

Breathing deeply, the light brunette slapped his cheeks to pump himself up.

"Yosh!" He clenched his fists, "I'll get Li to be un-drunk!"

Looking around to see everyone else occupied, Tsuna snuck into the kitchen and rustled through the refrigerator.

His mocha-colored eyes lit up upon finding what he was looking for.

* * *

Returning to the living room, Tsuna sweatdropped upon seeing Li growl at Iemitsu like a dangerously cute kitten with sharp claws and even sharper teeth.

The blonde man was crying dramatically over being kept away from his darling Nana who was giggling at how amusing the scene was.

Green eyes flickered over to Tsuna before Shouichi flapped a hand weakly.

The light brunette followed the motion and crouched next to the redhead.

Fixing his glasses and mussed appearance, Shouichi deadpanned, "Li-san's crazy when he's drunk."

Tsuna sweatdropped at the half-dead expression and laughed nervously, "I kind of figured."

The redhead sighed before blinking and raising a brow.

"Why…?" Shouichi started to ask.

A sheepish grin graced Tsuna's lips as he shrugged.

"I overheard Fang-san talking to Daisuke-san."

Understanding entered his green eyes, "Aa…"

Suddenly, the redhead clasped a hand over the younger one's shoulder and said quite seriously.

"Good luck."

Tsuna nearly fell over before straightening up and hissing, "You're not helping!"

But the redhead had decided to hide himself behind the propped up low-table.

The light brunette slouched over, releasing a exaggerated sigh, before gulping.

The metaphorical black tail flickered irritably behind Li as cat-ears pinned backwards in fury.

A fiery aura could practically be seen roaring around the gender-bender.

Steeling himself, Tsuna decided to sacrifice the last of his sanity and stepped towards his best-friend-turned-crazy-drunk.

One of his metaphorical cat-ears twitched upon hearing the light brunette's footsteps.

Temporarily forgetting about the blonde man, Li tilted his head towards Tsuna.

His clouded dark-brown eyes trailed over the younger boy before dropping to the other's hands.

A delicious scent wafted over.

One blink.

Two blinks.

Three-

"HIIIIIIIII~!"

THUD!

"Tsu-kun…?" Nana startled at the shout before clapping her hands together and smiling, "How sweet of you to do that!"

Shouichi's jaw dropped as he deadpanned in thought, 'She's not even noticing that-'

"BRAVO!" Iemitsu laughed, holding up his cup of sake in a toast, "You're one step closer to being a gentleman, Tsu-kun!"

'Even his father…' Came the shocked thought before the only sane person left in the room sighed and straightened up with a stern expression washing over his cherubic face.

Clapping his hands together, Shouichi tilted his head downwards in a silent moment.

The two adults continued to be merry, eventually returning to their romantic banter, as the redhead furrowed his brows.

Suddenly, Shouichi bowed all the way and stated quite seriously.

"May his eternal soul rest in peace."

POOF!

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"I'M NOT DEAD YET!" Tsuna snapped irritably, waving away the white smoke.

"Sorry." Shouichi grinned sheepishly, "But you kind of looked dead before."

The light brunette groaned at that before dropping his head with a thud.

His forehead made nice with the floor as he cried, "Why does this always happen to me~?"

The redhead shrugged helplessly, causing waterfalls of tears to flow down the light brunette's cheeks.

"Huu... Please get off, Li~!"

Said gender-bender simply munched on her claimed roast beef sandwich.

"Purr~ "

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

_CRASH!_

"Li-san! Put that down!"

_SMASH!_

"L-Li! That's dangerous!"

_SNAP! CRACKLE! POP!_

**DOM~!**

"…"

"…"

Tsuna and Shoichi clung onto one another from behind the overthrown couch in fear.

Sweat trickled down as they shivered upon feeling the lingering bloodlust in the air.

Li dusted off her hands as a caret-frown continued to grace her lips.

Upon closer inspection, they could see a small vein throbbing on her temple.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly before turning around.

The boys jumped upon seeing her shadowed face before gulping.

They glanced at each other before Tsuna started hesitantly, "L-Li…?"

Suddenly, the darkness disappeared as Li smile brightly, eyes closed, "Yes?"

Once more the boys glanced at each other before staring openly at the girl again.

Sparkles and flowers danced around her as if she were some holy being of light.

A cold draft passed as they shuddered, convinced.

_"The brightest people have the darkest sides."_

Meanwhile, Iemitsu cried over his destroyed sake, upturned home and-

"Nana-love~ Please come back~!"

-of course, his beloved wife who went shopping prior to Li becoming sober.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

About the Sho-mato thing... Blame Hetalia and Italy.

There's only three-ish more chapters until this arc is done.

Thanks for reading/reviewing/etc-ing _The Journal of Memories_!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) NANI KORE? - WHAT IS THIS?

(2) YAMETE KUDASAI, TOU-SAN! - PLEASE STOP, DAD!

**

* * *

Preview:**

It's White Day - the day on which boys give girls a gift reciprocating their gifts for Valentine's Day.

Thing is, Tsuna's never gone to Namimori Shogakko before.

Let's hope that nothing too horrible happens to him.

But, knowing him, something's bound to go wrong.


	41. Event 33: White Mishaps

Date: Wednesday, January 05, 2011  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 33: White Mishaps._

* * *

"Done!"

The exclamation came from none other than Sawada Tsunayoshi as he grinned at the somewhat messily wrapped gift in front of him.

The bag was a see-through red, revealing the assortment of chocolate and candy inside, and was tied up with a simple white ribbon.

But, as proud as the cute brunette was, nervousness began to seep into him as he fiddled with the bag of treats.

'I-Is this really okay?' He thought, gnawing on his lower lip, 'It's not a lot…'

His mocha-colored eyes trailed to the calendar that his mother set up in his room.

Today's date, March 14, was circled with a bright red marker.

And for those who didn't know, March 14 - better known as White Day - was the day on which males reciprocated gifts given to them by females on February 14, which all know as Valentine's Day!

Naturally, Tsuna, being the cute uke we all know and love, was pretty darn adamant about giving the gift to a certain dark brunette after receiving plenty of gifts in the past.

Breathing deeply, Tsuna smacked his cheeks before pumping his fists, "Yosh! I _can_ do this!"

* * *

"I _can't_ do this~!"

Tears flowed down his cherubic cheeks as Tsuna clutched onto his school bag (in which the gift was hidden from view).

He was crouched just below that annoying copper plate on which "Namimori Shogakko" was broadly displayed.

A despairing sigh was released from his lips before he huffed and grumbled to himself, "Get a hold of yourself, Tsuna! You're already here! Just go and find Li. It should be lunchtime now so-"

His breath hitched when a shadow casted over his tense form.

Gulping, Tsuna robotically looked up to see a face he did _not_ want to see.

Silky brown hair…

Glittering blue eyes…

And that familiar-be-damned squirrel-smile.

'Li…' Came the squeak of a thought as he froze.

'TASUKETE~!'

* * *

SNAP!

Dark-brown eyes blinked at the uneven chopsticks in hand before narrowing into a squint.

For some reason, her body felt cold and her heart was pounding heavily.

But why...?

She was in perfect health (plus, there's that saying that idiots can't catch colds).

And it's still relatively cool out so the air conditioner's not on (of course, there will always be _some_ school that's crazy enough to put it on).

Lastly, no one caught her off guard by pouring ice-cold water on her (well, no one except her mother but that was last week).

Biting her lower lip, Li can only come to one conclusion.

_Something bad was happening to someone close to her._

Thump!

The classroom fell silent upon hearing the chair fall to the floor and gaped as the girl practically inhaled her lunch before stuffing everything into her bag, rushing out of the classroom and-

Wham!

-slamming the door all in a span of five seconds.

Dot. Dot. Dot.

A certain tension reigned over for a moment before-

"Told you she's a UMA so pay up."

"B-But that's my last box of pocky!"

-the bets cleared and the noise level raised again.

* * *

Tsuna fiddled with his bag as he sat in the room.

Yes, _that_ room.

The room where the Big Guy (or, in this case, Big Lady) resided.

No, the Big Lady is _not_ that twin of the _evil_ squirrel lady of _doom_ (luckily).

The Big Lady was Suzuki, principal of Namimori Shogakko, who (true to her informal title) was rather portly with a gentle smile on her round face.

"Hello-"

Ba-Ba-Ba-BAM-am-am-am!

Everyone blinked at the fading sound before the security guard of Namimori Shogakko growled, "I swear if it's-"

"Don't swear." Came the quick scolding from Suzuki as she frowned at the other woman who clamped her mouth shut and fell silent.

The principal sighed silently before turning back to the cute brunette (who was wondering about the sound).

"Sorry about that, little one," She apologized pleasantly, "I don't recognize you so I believe that you're not a part of this school?"

Hesitating, Tsuna stayed quiet with wide eyes, wondering how he should respond when-

"HEY!"

-he jumped at the loud and unpleasant (to him anyway… and maybe Shouichi… and most _definitely_ Li) voice and whimpered, tears beginning to build.

"Satou-sensei!" Suzuki reprimanded with a frown, "He's just a kid!"

The squirrel-like brunette was abashed as Tsuna mentally thanked whatever higher being there is for the kind, round woman (and for confirming everyone's belief that there's a branch of the Satou family that contains evil squirrel-human hybrids).

Turning back to Tsuna, Suzuki smiled apologetically, "Little one, are you supposed to be here? Or are you lost?"

The light brunette gulped a bit, fiddling with his bag again, before jumping when the Satou-twin glared at him for stalling.

"I'mheretoseeLi!" Came his rushed reply.

Suzuki blinked in thought, deciphering the crammed statement, before smiling again and speaking before the _evil squirrel lady_ could get a word in, "Do you mean Sasaki Li-chan?"

Tsuna perked up at the name and nodded vigorously, eager to reunite with his best friend (and to be far, far away from the creepy squirrel-lady).

Meanwhile, Satou was (not really) secretly gagging at the name, remembering how her side-business shop lost a lot of customers after that one event because of said gender-bender.

Fortunately for her (and unfortunately for everyone else), her gesture went unnoticed as Suzuki stood up and motioned for them to follow.

Naturally, Tsuna stuck close to the principal to avoid the _evil_ squirrel lady twin of _doom_ who was currently smiling creepily...

* * *

Breath coming out in short puffs, Li stood before the school gates with a contemplative frown.

The feeling had calmed a bit but the lingering weight still bothered her.

The metaphoric demon (who, strangely enough, took the form of an unknown pineapple-haired boy) appeared on her left shoulder and chuckled softly, "Kufufufu~ What are you waiting for, Kyuu-chan? Go and follow your heart's desire~!"

Li crossed her arms as her lips tipped down in a caret-frown, "I dunno… Mama might kill me f'real."

"Kufufufu~ What she doesn't know won't lead her to killing you~!" The pineapple-demon laughed again before pausing when the metaphoric angel appeared on Li's right shoulder.

Said gender-bender blinked and was taken aback before musing, "Why are _you_ my angel-side?"

"Hn. Stop disturbing the peace and go back to class." The angel scowled at the girl before throwing a steely glare at the demon-side, "And you-!"

Sunlight glinted off of the metal tonfa as the sense of morals growled, "Kamikorosu."

That said, it becomes obvious that the angel - that is to say - _carnivore_ soon proceeded to "bite" the pineapple-demon (who shan't be named) "to death" as Li became dizzy from the chaos being stirred in her mind.

Several moments of debating, pacing and being confused overall passed before the gender-bender growled lowly and made up her mind.

Swinging her school bag over her shoulder, Li proceeded to climb over the fence and check in with her loved ones - punishment be damned!

"Kufufufu~" Came that creepily funny laugh as the pineapple-demon smirked at the scowling carnivore-of-morals, "Still weak, I see."

His only reply was a weak glare at the pink flower in hand.

* * *

"Ah!" Came the happy exclamation as the trio stopped just outside of a bustling classroom, "Li-chan should be in this room!"

_Doki doki._

Tsuna's grip on his bag tightened and he swallowed nervously, 'Well, can't back out now.'

He breathed deeply as Suzuki slid open the door.

A hush fell upon all of them as the older kids blinked at the sight of one scrawny kid accompanied by two powerful people before-

"SUZUKI-SENSEI~!"

-a round of joyous cries rang out.

The class bustled over to the portly woman, blatantly ignoring the slimmer (but more creepy) one, and talking excitedly about "UMAs" and their "special eating skills" before asking about the "new kid".

Satou grounded her teeth together, fuming over the lack of attention before screeching, "QUIET!"

The kids, Tsuna included, hid behind Suzuki who twitched and threw a surprisingly dark glare (unbeknownst to all of the kids) at the woman before uttering dangerously, "Satou-sensei…"

Realizing her error, the evil squirrel-twin stepped away and muttered a soft apology.

Sighing through her nose, Suzuki turned back to the kids and smiled charmingly, "Do any of you know where Li-chan went?"

"Oh, oh!" Came the class know-it-all, "UMA-san left a while ago!"

'UMA? What's a UMA?' Tsuna thought incredulously before their words settled in and he panicked, "W-Where did Li go?"

The older kids scrutinized the light brunette, causing him to shrink away, before breaking out into whispers:

"He called her by her first name!"

"Ne, ne, isn't that how you're supposed to call your fiancee?"

"What's a fee-whatever?"

"I dunno but that's what Okaa-san told me!"

Bit by bit, slowly and gradually, Tsuna blushed darker and darker before squeaking and hiding behind his school bag with a silent groan.

Granted, the poor kid didn't get what they were saying but he did know that all eyes were on him and _that_, in itself, justified that he could feel embarrassed to the twenty-seventh power.

Luckily for him, the heavenly voice of that sweet principal rang through.

"Now, now. Calm down, children." Suzuki crouched down and asked seriously, "So, tell me, where did Li-chan go?"

Again, the class know-it-all piped up, "We dunno. She just up and left after eating her lunch in FIVE SECONDS!"

Another excited chatter broke out as they awed over that record; Suzuki was taken aback.

"Only five seconds…?" She murmured in shock before snapping out of it when Satou cleared her throat.

Sweatdropping, the principal composed herself and turned to Tsuna with a regretful expression, "I'm sorry, little one. As the headmaster, I can't just up and leave the school to help you look for her."

"But I can." Came the ominous statement from the squirrel-twin.

Tsuna paled.

'Oh no.'

* * *

"MAMA! PAPA!"

BAM!

Li crashed face first after tripping over that annoying uplift in the living room and twitched in pain.

Daisuke blinked as his daughter groaned and pushed herself up before asking, "You didn't hurt yourself too badly, did you?"

But, before Li could reply, a fist knocked into her head and it's an intimate greeting to the floor again.

"Just _what_ do you think you're doing out of school?" Came the low hiss from Fang as she towered over her kid with a dark aura.

Six knives glinted dangerously in her hands.

Li groaned before rolling over so that she could face the wrath of her deadly mother, "I had a bad feeling."

The woman's killing intent lessened a degree as she frowned lightly, "What kind of feeling?"

The child sat up and rubbed her nose gingerly while answering, "I felt cold and my heart wouldn't stop going 'doki, doki' - it was scary!"

The knives disappeared as Fang contemplated the younger one's words, 'That feeling is…'

"Kyuu-chan," The woman started sternly, "Where did your feeling lead you?"

Li blinked and thought for a moment before musing, "Just outside the school. Then it lightened. But it still bothered me."

Fang stayed silent, pondering, before grabbing her kid off of the floor and-

Swish~!

THUD!

"Itai!"

-booting her out of the house.

"Go back to school." Fang ordered, "Whatever's making you feel that way's probably back there."

That said, the door slammed shut on Li's pout.

* * *

Tsuna shuffled after the creepy brunette, clutching his bag closely, while glancing around him nervously.

He and Satou were asking anyone and everyone, from shoppers to shopkeepers, about the whereabouts of the class-proclaimed UMA otherwise known as Tsuna's (and Shouichi's) weird best friend.

The only thing that kept him from bolting right then and there was the fact that there were plenty of people nearby so, even if Satou wanted to try something, she couldn't for the fear that she would get caught.

But that wasn't the point.

The _point_ was that Tsuna was no closer to finding the young gender-bender than he was ten minutes ago.

With a worried-full sigh, he continued to follow Satou down the streets.

* * *

'Mama really might be the incarnation of the devil.' Li thought as she kicked away a stray pebble before sighing and slumping over, groaning, "_Why_ am I thinking about _Mama_?"

Gripping her hair and crouching down, the gender-bender grumbled, "She and Papa are obviously not in danger so I need to figure out who is!"

With another sigh, she rested her chin on her knees and glared irritably down the street at the hustle and bustle of the urban marketplace.

Slowly, gradually, eventually, the irritated glare lessened to a wanting stare as Li was distracted by that yummy smell of udon and that cute bear mascot who was dancing that ever-awesome Caramelldansen and handing out colorful balloons before-

WHAM!

-Li slammed her head into the ground.

The pain jolted her out of her reverie as she twitched before slowly standing up.

A trickle of blood ran down her forehead as tears clung to the edge of her eyes but she refused to outwardly cry-

'Udooooooooon~!'

-whining inwardly, on the other hand, was perfectly legitimate.

Sadly, crying _or_ whining was _not_ going to help so Li straightened up, held her chin up high and walked proudly away from the scene.

Well, proudly until she was out of sight.

Then, she keeled over and started pounding the floor with a fist, crying-

"I'm a stupid pig! The worst of the worst! The lowest of the low! How could I keep getting distracted by udon? Someone I love could be hurting right now but all I want are those super-special-awesome noodles! Mama _and_ Papa would be so ashamed of me. Even Fratello would look at me with contempt! But those oh-so-yummy noodles keep calling out to me! It's like that time when I ate eight bowls and couldn't help but ask for a ninth one! Why? WHY? WHHHHHHHHHY? Why am I so disgustingly gluttonous? Why do I keep committing such sinful acts? WHY, I ASK! ANSWER MEEEEEEEEE~ SHINIGAMI-SAMAAAAAAAAA~!"

-much like how Death the Kid would cry when he screwed up his beloved symmetry, or when his awesome hair was mentioned.

* * *

A shiver went up Tsuna's spine as he jerked around.

His mocha-colored eyes scanned the crowds before his brows furrowed.

Scratching his cheek, the brunette couldn't help but wonder what that feeling was.

'I hope Li's okay…'

* * *

After wasting some more time crying - oh, sorry - _whining_, Li finally picked herself up and marched towards Suimin Shogakko.

Why Suimin and not Namimori Shogakko?

Simple: Li wanted to make sure her cute redheaded friend was okay.

Plus, straight after, she could go check out Acorn Daycare to see her lovely Tsuna-Fish!

Running her tongue over her canines, Li inhaled… exhaled… and hoisted herself over the tall gates of Suimin Shogakko.

She landed with a soft thump before skipping forward only to halt in thought.

A kittenish grin played on her lips as she ducked into a nearby bush (there's _always_ one of these nearby, conveniently).

Dark-brown eyes watched as the students of this elementary school played with one another but focused on the bespectacled boy sitting under a tree in the shade with a book in hand.

Her grin turned into a playful smirk as Li stealthily approached the adorable boy.

Oh, and ignore the _Mission Impossible_ theme song that's playing right now.

But, as hilarious as it'd be to type out the whole sneaking-and-hiding-and-being-freaked-out process, it wouldn't nearly be as fun as actually _seeing_ it.

And so, skipping ahead, Li tackled the redhead into a hug, cheering-

"SHOU~!"

-and successfully knocking the unsuspecting kid over.

The redhead twitched, trying to calm his pounding heart, before snapping and knuckling the gender-bender's head.

"LI-SAN!" Shouichi shouted, feeling thoroughly miffed, "Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"Hoi…" Li cried but took the punishment, "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Scaring me like that is _not_ ensuring my safety!" Came the exasperated reply before Shouichi relaxed and frowned in thought, "And why wouldn't I be okay?"

At that question, Li snapped to attention and started to pat down the redhead who-

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

-flustered and backed away, trying to cover himself.

Li sighed in relief when she didn't find any injuries on his being before answering, "I had a really weird feeling before and I thought someone got hurt."

Still red, Shouichi slowly calmed down before furrowing his brows, "Whom did you check on already?"

Li slumped onto the bench and sighed, "Only Mama, Papa and you. I'm gonna go check on Tsuna next. I hope Squirrel-teme didn't get to him."

This earned her a raised brow as Shouichi deadpanned, "Acorn Daycare's closed for a while."

Dot. Dot. Dot.

"Eh?" Came the flat stare from Li to Shouichi before she slapped her cheeks in shock, "EH~? WHY~?"

The redhead sighed, a bit amused, and answered, "Satou-san had to leave on family matters."

"Buu~" Li huffed and crossed her arms, "That means I gotta go _back_ to my school."

Shouichi patted the girl's head and smiled, "Don't worry, Li-san. You'll find him."

"Un…"

* * *

This way?

Nuh-uh.

That way?

Nope.

Which way?

Can't tell.

Slowly and surely, irritation was beginning to bubble within Tsuna.

He and Satou were making their way back to Namimori Shogakko.

_Without_ Li.

Despite the irritation, however, worry was much more prominent as many scenes played in his mind.

Each one less pleasant than the next.

What if she got lost?

What if she got hurt?

What if she were kidnapped?

And, he really didn't want to consider this but, what if she were _killed_?

The thought brought forth that terrible feeling.

That terrible feeling of sharp claws digging into his chest.

That terrible feeling of an icy hand grasping onto his heart.

And that terrible feeling of even considering being alone again.

He shivered and hugged himself, school bag pressed against his chest.

'No.' He mentally berated himself, 'Li's too strong. If anything, she'll knock down anyone who does wrong!'

Somehow, that image of chibi-Li kicking the asses of random faceless people dressed in black suits brought a smile to his lips.

'That's right. Li is strong. She won't die on me.'

* * *

Having parted ways with Shouichi, Li passed by Namimori Chuugakko and was spotted most unfortunately by none other than-

"XIAO LIIIIIIIII~!"

-her awesomely annoying big brother as he skipped towards the girl with wide arms only to-

WHAM!

-meet with the sole of her shoe, of course.

A vein throbbed on her temple as she huffed irritably and thought, 'Why was I even worried over this idiot?'

"Please, Xiao Li! I'm suffering from Li-withdrawal!" Kiyoshi cried as he leaned against the dirty footwear, "I need to hug you-!"

Thud!

The older gender-bender twitched upon kissing the lovely floor.

"… Xiao Li…"

A dark aura exuded from his being before-

"HIDOI YO!"

-he threw a tantrum and rolled around on the school grounds, crying.

The students of Namichuu simply continued on with their lives, used to the hilariously pathetic sight.

* * *

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, Li rolled her shoulders before slumping against the wall, grumbling, "Kiyoshi can be so perverted sometimes."

Another sigh was released before the gender-bender straightened up and pumped her fist, "Yosh! Time to see my lovely Tsuna-Fish~!"

Completely forgetting the previous encounter, Li pranced off with a kittenish smile.

But, after a moment, that smile faltered as the feeling, which had subsided, suddenly came back stronger than ever.

Speeding up her gait, Li prayed, 'Please let that weird feeling be just a weirdo.'

* * *

"A-Ano…" Came the hesitant question, "Why are we going this way…?"

He trailed off and took a step back when blue eyes leered at him but continued to ask, "I-Isn't Namimori Shogakko the _other_ way?"

Satou glared and scowled, "Are you defying me, brat?"

Tsuna flinched and trembled under the scrutiny before shaking his head rapidly, "N-No, ma'am!"

The creepy one held her cold gaze before grabbing the boy and dragging him forward, snorting, "You _will_ follow me, _quietly_. Understood?"

A silent whimper left his lips.

'Where are you, Li?'

* * *

Heart pounding painfully in her chest, Li forced a wide grin and waved good-bye to the gentle woman.

"Arigatou, Nana-san! I'll drop by later with Tsuna and Shou!"

That said, the gender-bender turned and dropped her facade, allowing worry to seep into her childish features.

She pushed forward, mind clouded.

_"Tsu-kun said that he was going to see you." Nana informed, "Did you miss him on the way here?"_

_"Go back to school." Fang ordered, "Whatever's making you feel that way's probably back there."_

_"Acorn Daycare's closed for a while." Shouichi deadpanned, "Satou-san had to leave on family matters."_

Dark-brown eyes narrowed as Li growled to herself, "Squirrel-_teme_."

She raced down the streets of the bustling shopping district before abruptly skidding to a stop at a familiar shop, Amori's Boutique, and at the sight of a familiar puffed-out smile.

Immediately, Li made a beeline towards the blonde woman and gripped onto her skirt with a snarl, "Where's Tsuna?"

The woman looked surprised, then irritated, and scowled, "You've gotten even more rude, haven't you, Sasaki-_chan_?"

Li twitched at the familiar suffix but ignored it and snapped, "Tell me where Tsuna is!"

Blue eyes blinked at the command before a frown tipped onto her lips.

"Sawada-kun…?" The blonde Satou murmured with furrowed brows, "I think I saw him with my sister earlier…"

Li froze, memory flashing back to the brunette twin that she encountered a while ago, before gripping the woman's skirt and demanding, "Where did they go?"

The woman blinked at the urgency before pointing down the street, opposite of Namimori Shogakko.

In a blink of an eye, the gender-bender disappeared.

The blonde rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache come on, and groaned inwardly, "I hope Rin-nee doesn't do anything rash."

* * *

Li tore down the streets of Namimori but, as she progressed, the area became more and more crowded.

Gnashing her teeth together, Li looked around before scrambling onto the brick wall and skillfully running across it before jumping off and grabbing onto a nearby fire escape.

Struggling a bit, the gender-bender heaved herself onto the metal standing and went up onto the roof.

Dark-brown eyes ran across the crowd before catching onto a familiar spiky brunette.

Relief blossomed within her before transforming into a rumbling rage at the sight of an older, taller and definitely feminine figure pulling the boy along with her none too gently.

"Ano _teme_-!" Came the brief snarl before Li took off after the duo.

* * *

Tsuna whimpered, not liking how he was being forcibly dragged to who-knows-where, but couldn't tug his hand out of the woman's iron grasp.

He could hear his blood pumping in his ears as none-too-pleasant images filled his mind of what the squirrel-lady would do to him once they reached this destination of hers.

He clenched his eyes tightly, unable to resist trembling in fear.

What if she wanted to hurt him?

What if she made him her slave?

What if she locked him up for all eternity?

What if he never sees his mother, Li, Shouichi and everyone else ever again?

At this, he dug his heels into the ground and attempted to tug his hand out of her grip.

Satou paused at the resistance and blinked before raising a brow, "What are you-"

She was cut off as a blur barreled right into her from above.

Tsuna fell onto his bottom, shocked, before blinking and gaping.

Warmth filled his heart, spreading out to the rest of his body, as his mocha-colored eyes landed on the familiar (though enraged) dark brunette crouched over the disoriented woman.

"LI!"

Her head snapped up at the voice before relief washed over her dark expression.

She threw her arms over him and pulled him close, murmuring in her mother's native language.

Tsuna gripped onto the gender-bender tightly, relishing in the familiar scent and comforting touch, as tears pricked at his eyes.

Poof!

White smoke billowed from the gender-bender, obscuring them from view.

Too caught up in their reunion, the two kids forgot to use the opportunity to run for it and the smoke soon lifted.

A cough snapped them out of it and Li tensed, stepping in front of his best friend with a glare.

He crouched a bit, ready to spring into action when-

"There you are!"

-the brunette Satou reacted in a way different from imagined.

The younger brunettes blinked in surprise at the blatant emotions that played across the woman's face.

Li slacked in his stance and moved his mouth - open, close, open, close, open - before blurting out, "HUH?"

Satou Rin, one of the seemingly countless number of _evil squirrel-human hybrids_ that Li ever had the annoyance to meet, held an expression of clear exasperation, irritation and (this is the surprising part) _relief_.

Even Tsuna was surprised and the two watched the woman as she ran her fingers through her hair and slumped over as stress seemed to have evaporated from her slim body.

"What the hell do you mean by - 'HUH?' - you annoying brat?" Rin snapped, mimicking the gender-bender relatively well, before placing her fists on her hips and glaring, "Do you have any idea how much _trouble_ I would've gotten in if a kid got lost during _my_ shift?"

Dot. Dot. Dot.

THUD!

Li fell over as Tsuna continued to gape from his spot on the floor.

Satou raised a brow and queried, "What?"

"Nothing." Li sighed as he propped himself up before grumbling under his breath, "… I almost thought the world was gonna end…"

Tsuna nodded in agreement before standing up as the gender-bender did the same.

They dusted themselves off and Li fussed over Tsuna a bit before a thought occurred like lightning.

"Wait a second~!" Li started as he whirled about and glared at the woman, "If you were so panicked about getting into trouble, then where were you taking Tsuna?"

A vein irked as Rin snapped, "What's with that accusatory tone, warugaki?"

Another vein irked, this time on Li, as he snapped, "I'll accuse you of whatever I want, kusobabaa!"

"YOU-!" The woman made a motion to strangle the gender-bender when Tsuna tugged on Li's shirt, pulling the dark brunette closer to him and away from her, while hissing, "Li!"

Li huffed but relented and leaned against the other, calming down, before crossing his arms and staring expectantly at the woman.

Rin glared straight back before turning and pointing to a large building a little away that had a blue banner stating in big, clear, white letters: Namimori Police Station.

Dot. Dot. Dot.

"What? Cat got your tongue, brat?" Rin asked sarcastically while turning back with a smirk when-

_Whoosh~!_

-a breeze shot pass her.

She blinked a few times before several veins throbbed irritably.

"YOU-!"

The outlines already faded away.

"-UNGRATEFUL BRATS!"

Everyone managed to ignore the crazy and loud policewoman shaking a fist at two long-gone kids.

* * *

Li hummed happily as he and Tsuna skipped off to Suimin Shogakko to give Shouichi the update.

Tsuna watched the content expression of his best friend before his gaze dropped to their hands.

A blush flourished on his cheeks at the sight of their interlaced fingers in a firm but gentle grasp.

He tightened his grip before blushing deeper and looking away when dark-brown eyes looked at him.

Li tilted his head to the side before grinning lightly and returning the squeeze.

Everything turned out alright.

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"By the way," Li started as he twirled in front of the light brunette and tilted his head, "Why did you go to Namisho anyway? You usually wait until I'm out of that prison!"

Tsuna did the five-second-freeze as his mind blanked out.

His school bag suddenly felt heavy in his hand as he slowly turned red upon remembering his original mission.

"A-Ah- That is- I- Um- I- You-" The light brunette couldn't help his stuttering as he gripped his bag closer to himself.

Noticing the way Tsuna seemed protective of the object, Li grinned kittenishly and stepped closer.

Tsuna stepped back and gulped at the mischievous glint in the other's eyes before-

"HIIIIIIIII~!"

THUMP!

-he got jumped.

So what's the result of this year's White Day?

Well, let's just say that Tsuna's blush won't be going away for a while.

* * *

(Extended Ending: Extra)

Humming softly to himself, Li danced down the street towards home with a warmth-filled heart.

Everyone was as fine as fine can be.

But, just as he finished that thought, a chill ran though his body.

He paused suddenly and frowned in deep thought.

A moment of silence passed before-

SLAP!

"KYO-NII! TAKESHI! MINNA MOU~!"

-Li proceeded to beat himself over forgetting the others.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Happy New Years, everyone~! I hope your holidays went well~! :3

To celebrate the new year, I uploaded this rather long chapter.

A lot of the ideas came from other things but I don't remember where exactly they came from. ^^;

Nonetheless, I hope everyone enjoyed the first update of this year!

Thank you for reading/reviewing/etc-ing _The Journal of Memories_~!

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Yosh! - Alright!

(2) TASUKETE~! - SAVE ME~!

(3) UMA - Unidentifiable Mystery Animal (Hehe~ Gokudera's obsession other than "Juudaime".)

(4) Mama, Papa, Fratello - Mom, Dad, Brother (in Italian)

(5) MINNA MOU~! - EVERYONE ELSE TOO~!


	42. Event 34: Waking From A Dream

Date: Thursday, February 03, 2011  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 34: Waking From A Dream._

* * *

"Itai!"

"Gomen!"

Li winced as an ice pack, courtesy of Tsuna, was pressed against the rather large bump on her head.

Why was there a rather large bump on the gender-bender's head?

The reason is behind one name - Fang.

Yup, none other than Li's oh-so-lovable mother.

"_I_~_tai_!"

"Gomen, Li!"

Tears pricked at her eyes as the light brunette shot her an apologetic look.

"Fang-san hit you pretty hard today, didn't she?"

"That's a HUGE understatement, Tsuna."

Li huffed and glared at a random point in space before wincing again when the ice pack touched her bruise.

"Speaking of Fang-san," Shouichi started as he raised a brow, "What exactly did you do to make her mad?"

Cheeks puffed out and lips jutted in a pout, Li sulked, "I didn't do nothing!"

Green eyes deadpanned at the gender-bender with traces of amusement, "So you did something?"

"Shou~!" Came the irritated whine as Li retorted, "Stop being picky!"

The redhead poked the dark brunette's forehead, "Li-san, proper grammar is key to understanding."

Another whine left her lips before she turned to Tsuna.

The light brunette shrugged helplessly.

Another pout rested on her lips before she sighed.

"Fine… But I didn't do anything!"

Shouichi raised a brow at the declaration before whispering to Tsuna, "A box of pocky says she stole Fang-san's treats again."

The light brunette coughed in an attempt to hide his laughter.

"SHOU~!" Li pouted at the redhead's face of innocence, "Stop picking on me~!"

He tilted his head, keeping up the facade, and asked, "How am I picking on you, Li-san?"

She opened her mouth to explain when movement caught her eyes.

Tilting her head towards the object, her vision was filled with the color green.

She crossed her eyes as her nose twitched before-

"Ha~ kyuu!"

Thump!

-Li sniffled and rubbed her nose whilst on her back as a single leaf fluttered away, moving with the wind into the surrounding forest of Namimori's park, as she heard light laughter from the boys.

Dark-brown eyes followed the leaf for a moment before catching onto a light that glinted farther within the grove.

"You okay, Li?" Tsuna asked, noticing the way her attention began to drift away.

Tilting her head faintly, the gender-bender rolled onto her stomach and narrowed her eyes.

"Li-san?" Shouichi piped up, trying to follow her gaze but seeing nothing of particular interest.

Dark-brown eyes narrowed with a mischievous glint.

Sunlight shined off of a silver-colored object.

Lips quirked into a cheeky grin as Li jumped to her feet, shouting-

"NOT IT!"

-and dashing into the forest's shadows, leaving behind two baffled boys before-

"Not fair, Li, you're cheating!"

"Li-san, this is not how you play tag!

-they pursued their distancing friend.

* * *

Hiding behind thick shrubs, Li covered her mouth to keep her snickers to herself as her friends ran pass her hiding spot.

Once they were out of sight, the gender-bender turned her attention towards the direction of that strangely shiny spot.

Her eyes sparkled with interest as she proceeded with her plan.

She mentally listed off the procedure.

Stomach flat against the grass - check.

One arm in front of the other - check.

One knee in front of the other - check.

And one cheeky grin?

Certified check.

Li was crawling towards that interestingly shiny thing - ARMY-STYLE!

Her grin continued to widen as she began to hum to herself.

'Da dum… Da dum… Da dum, da dum, da dum~!'

Ignoring the fact that she was singing the theme to _Jaws_ instead of the more appropriate _Mission Impossible_ (or, even better, the theme song of _James Bond 007_), Li inched closer and closer to this mysterious thing.

Her heartbeat quickened upon approaching this interesting object that was partly buried.

Strangely enough, for something that was buried, it didn't look all that old and treasure-like.

Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized it: part of it was round while another part was relatively straight.

Still, she was unable to decipher the thing and so she went a step further.

Her right hand reached out and brushed away some stray leaves before her eyes widened.

'Trap…!'

She jerked backwards.

The metallic danger snapped upwards.

"AH!"

POOF!

White smoke filled the area.

* * *

"Ah…!"

Tsuna clutched at his right forearm, wincing as a painfully tingly sensation played at a particular spot.

Hearing the sharp gasp, Shouichi turned around with a concerned expression, "What's wrong, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Tsuna pursed his lips and removed his hand, expecting to see the area affected, but his arm was unblemished.

Confusion seeped into his being as he returned the worried expression.

"I don't know..."

* * *

A low whimper resounded through the forest.

Beads of beautifully red blood seeped through his trembling fingers.

Li's arm was still intact luckily.

However, he wasn't without injury.

His hand clutched tightly at his right forearm where a deep gash throbbed painfully.

He bit down on his lower lip, trying to blink the tears away but still they trickled down his face.

Another pained groan left his throat as he applied pressure to his wound, hoping that it would stop bleeding.

He casted a weak glare at the bear trap as it continued to glitter in the sun, taunting the gender-bender with the sight of his blood on its jagged teeth.

The leaves rustled as Li tensed, head snapping upwards to see a shadow briefly pass.

Dark-brown eyes widened as his heartbeat quickened.

'Danger…!'

Past training kicking into gear, Li threw himself to the side as a katana embedded itself into the soft dirt ground.

Skidding to a stop, Li scrambled to his feet but trembled as if a weight pressed onto his shoulders just as the shadow dropped to the forest floor.

Confusion became evident on the gender-bender's face upon seeing the unknown clothed bundle, barely larger than himself, before his vision blurred briefly and fear began to seep into him.

The enemy grabbed the hilt of the weapon and raised it, poised for an attack, as light glinted off of its metal.

Suddenly, that weight intensified.

The heavy pressure was forcing him down.

Wide-eyed, Li fell to his knees.

Sweat perspired.

His heart raced.

His breath came in short puffs.

He flinched and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the attack, as the person was about to spring forth when-

_Tweet~!_

-a sharp whistle echoed through the seemingly empty forest.

Snapping his eyes open, Li found himself alone once more in the silent forest.

_Doki doki._

He breathed shakily, slumping over.

His small form trembled viciously.

Blood continued to trickle down from his wound.

His stained hands gripped the grass below.

Tears trickled down his closed eyes.

His jaws clenched tightly.

Coldness encompassed his very being.

And his stomach finally emptied.

* * *

"Tsunayoshi-kun...!"

Shouichi caught the light brunette and allowed the younger boy to lean against him to regain his balance.

"Did you trip over something…?"

The redhead trailed off upon seeing the pale face of the other.

Tsuna rubbed his forehead and murmured, "Just a bit… dizzy. That's all."

Shouichi gazed worriedly at the light brunette as his own thoughts trailed towards a memory.

_"I had a really weird feeling before and I thought someone got hurt."_

'Li-san…' He mused apprehensively, '… had premonition-like feelings before. Does Tsunayoshi-kun have them too…?'

His grip tightened on the smaller, preoccupied one as his lips tightened.

'If so… Please be okay… Li-san!'

* * *

The forest swayed gently to the breeze, almost as if nothing terrible had happened earlier.

And one would've thought that nothing happened if it weren't for the soiled trap and disrupted setting.

"Nngh…"

Li grimaced as he wiped his mouth, having spent a while coughing and spitting to rid himself of the bitter taste of bile.

'What…' Came the wispy thought, '… _was_ that…?'

His body shuddered upon remembering the cold feeling - that dreadful pressure - as he bit back another whimper.

'Kowaii… honto ni… _kowaii_.'

He gripped his shoulders and trembled, tears beginning to form again.

'Mama… Papa… Fratello...!'

Little crescents marked his skin before-

_Rustle~ rustle~!_

-he jerked up at the sound.

He couldn't react as he was swept up.

Warmth engulfed his shivering being.

The faint scent of lavender wafted.

His eyes began to burn with tears again.

His hands clutched desperately around the soft yet hardened body.

His lips moved rapidly but there was only a choked sob.

His body felt numb.

His head felt light.

Soon, everything faded to nothing.

The child's body fell limp in the safe embrace as red lips pursed into a tight line.

Strong arms tightened around the little one as raven-black hair fell messily onto rounded shoulders.

Dark-brown eyes narrowed at the chaotic area, taking in the blood and mess, before landing on the trunk of a tree.

There, carefully concealed to unskilled eyes, was a single black card on which was a unique design.

It was the image of a silver dog bursting forth from a white quarter mask.

Fang swallowed thickly.

'They've caught on.'

* * *

(Extended Ending)

"LI!"

"Li-san! Fang-san!"

Tsuna ran towards the two Sasaki, nearly tripping, before skidding to a stop, bumping lightly into the tall woman, as Shouichi followed in a less clumsy manner.

Their wide eyes gazed worriedly at the unconscious form of their best friend before turning to Li's mother.

Fang took in their expressions - expressions pleading for an explanation and a confirmation of their friend's safety.

Her heart clenched but she forced the pained expression from surfacing and shrugged carelessly, "Kyuu-chan just fell asleep."

It wasn't a complete lie.

The boys glanced at one another, unconvinced, when they spotted another walking towards them.

"Daisuke-san!" Tsuna called out as the gentle man stopped next to his wife.

The male Sasaki glanced over at his child, a frown flickering across his lips, before he smiled lightly at the boys, "I'll take you two home now."

"But-!"

Their protests were silenced when Fang glared at them as a knife appeared in one hand whilst her other hand held onto Li.

Shouichi gulped, taking a step back before firmly standing still, as Tsuna hesitated briefly before bristling stubbornly.

Before the youngest brunette did anything, Daisuke clamped a hand on his shoulder and murmured lowly, "You two can come by tomorrow to check up on Kyuu-chan, okay?"

The boys paused before their shoulders slumped in reluctant acceptance, "Okay…"

Daisuke smiled apologetically before nodding to the ravenette.

Nodding back, Fang placed her knife away and held her child gingerly in her arms.

The man quickly ushered the kids away but one thought remained.

_What's going on?_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ugh, this chapter was short and horrible - I just couldn't get into the mood of writing it; luckily, I somehow managed.

Anyway, the next chapter's the last one so... yeah.

Thank you for reading/reviewing/etc-ing _The Journal of Memories_~!

(Now I'm off to hide just in case anyone's pissed off at me.)

**

* * *

Loose Translation:**

(1) Itai! - Ow!

(2) Gomen! - Sorry!

(3) Mama... Papa... Fratello...! - Mom... Dad... Brother...!


	43. Event 35: Bittersweet Brevity

Date: Wednesday, February 09, 2011  
Title: The Journal of Memories  
Author: Gin Nanashi  
Creation Type: Fanfiction  
Main Rating: K+  
Main Genre: One-Shot Series; Fluff, Friendship  
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! belongs to Amano Akira; Sasaki Li, Sasaki Xue Fang, Sasaki Daisuke, Sasaki Kiyoshi and every other non-identifiable characters belongs to me (Gin Nanashi).  
Summary: Sasaki Li came from a bloodline that allows her to gender-bend. Unfortunately, Li has yet to figure out how to control her ability. Fortunately, it leads to a whole bit of fun for the readers!

* * *

**The Journal of Memories**

_Event 35: Bittersweet Brevity._

* * *

Heart pounding and body hesitating, Tsuna and Shouichi stood awkwardly outside of Li's room.

Glancing at each other for support, they breathed deeply before Tsuna grabbed the door handle.

Turning it, he pushed the wooden door open a crack and both boys peeked into the room, whispering, "Li…?"

Dark-brown eyes blinked at the soft sound as said brunette tilted her head.

She blinked again before grinning and waving to the boys, "Oi~ Shou~ Tsu-Fishy~!"

A blush flickered over Tsuna's cheeks but he quickly shook off the embarrassment and pushed the door open farther.

They quickly slipped into the room before Shouichi closed the door with a click.

"Ne, ne~" Li started, bouncing on the bed a bit, "Why are you guys over so early?"

"I would think it's a bit obvious." Shouichi answered with a small but worry-filled frown.

Tsuna, meanwhile, disregarded the question and worriedly eyed the white bandages on Li's right arm.

Gently grabbing a hold of her wrist, Tsuna locked eyes with the gender-bender and questioned, "Li, are you really okay?"

Li paused, taking in the watery eyes of her best friend, before smiling in response, "Un!"

The light brunette couldn't help but hesitate at accepting the older one's answer and dropped his gaze to the bandaged arm again.

The white cloth was wrapped tightly from her wrist to her elbow; barely noticeable red spots were visible in a relatively straight line.

His eyes trailed back to her face and noted how pale it was when compared to that of the usually overly hyper Li that he was accustomed to being around.

His gaze fell again as his fingers brushed against where the wound was; his eyes dulled in thought.

'Li really was hurt… I knew. Somehow, I knew that Fang-san lied… But why…?'

_Later that day, Tsuna had waited anxiously in his room, feeling sicker than he ever had._

_His stomach churned and writhed while a freezing coldness flooded his trembling body._

_He didn't understand why the feeling was so intense._

_Yes, he was worried but didn't Fang already tell him that Li "just fell asleep"?_

_If that's the case, then he didn't need to get worked up like this!_

_After all, it wasn't like Li was seriously hurt..._

_Right…?_

_He wanted to sleep, thinking that it would help, but his mind wouldn't give into dreamland._

_The feeling wouldn't rest and soon he couldn't wait any longer._

_The intensity forced him up and he stumbled out of his room, hoarsely calling for his mother._

_He found her standing in front of the phone, face paler than the usual and lips trembling._

_Her voice was soft in volume yet intense in emotions._

_"When…?"_

'Okaa-san… What did Fang-san say to you?'

_"Don't worry, Tsu-kun!" She had smiled to the best of her ability, "You can definitely visit Kyuu-chan!"_

He snapped back to reality upon feeling hands pat his face lightly and blinked.

Light-brown eyes met with dark-brown ones.

"Tsuna?" Li murmured quietly, "You alright?"

He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes before sliding his hands over hers, whispering, "Can you tell me…?"

He could feel her tense and opened his eyes to looked into hers again.

"… What happened?"

Shouichi looked from one brunette to the other, noting how the darker one suddenly seemed to lose all color in her face.

He hesitated.

Should he stop Tsuna from questioning her?

Or, should he question her as well?

His wiped the sweat from his palms onto his pants and gulped.

He didn't want to pressure her.

But, at the same time, he wanted answers.

What exactly happened yesterday?

Why did Fang lie?

How will things proceed from here?

The two sides waged battle against one another before he groaned inwardly and clutched his torso as his stomach cramped.

Why can't anything be simple?

"I…"

The boys snapped to attention; eyes locking onto her form.

Her arms were wrapped around her torso, as if she was trying to shield herself from some unknown danger, and she trembled lightly.

Her eyes glanced away from her best friends in reluctant thought as she licked her canines nervously.

Finally, she took a deep breath and met their gazes.

"I met someone."

They blinked, not understanding the significance of her words.

Li licked her dry lips and continued.

"I don't know who that person was but…"

Her eyes closed as her mind flashed back to that time…

To that desolate place...

To that fearful event...

To that _terrifying feeling_.

A shudder wracked her body as she suppressed that cold emptiness from surfacing within her.

"I think whoever that was…."

Her grip tightened on her shoulders as her voice barely reached their ears.

"… wanted to seriously hurt me."

Like being thrown into a torrential current, the boys chilled and paled upon realization.

She could've been seriously injured.

And all because they were playing around.

Li… could've been _killed_.

The gender-bender was jerked forward by the boys as they captured her into their embrace.

Their warm, tight embrace conveyed their deepest feelings.

A silent vow that they wouldn't let her run off alone anymore.

Her arms hung limply by her sides as tears began to fill her eyes.

Biting her lower lip, she wrapped her arms around them, holding them closer to her heart.

_I'm afraid…_

She thought.

_We know._

They responded.

_And we'll be here for you._

Feelings overflowed with billowing smoke as tears fell liberally.

* * *

Leaning on the wall just outside of Li's room, Fang closed her eyes and sighed silently.

A warm hand clasped onto her shoulder, making her look up at her husband.

"Dai-kun…" She murmured, leaning against his shoulder, "We have to…"

She trailed off but the man understood and pulled her into a tight hug.

* * *

Grey eyes watched the two adults lean on one another before turning to the dim lights of his mother's cell phone.

Kiyoshi frowned lightly and tightened his grip on the technology before turning away, dropping it on the coffee table.

The screen flashed one word:

_Tonight._

* * *

The door creaked open just as the trio broke their hug.

Li rubbed away the remnants of his tears and blinked at the incomers.

"Mama…? Papa…?"

Fang entered with her usual swagger as Daisuke followed with a smile and a tray of tea and biscuits.

"About time you're up, Kyuu-chan." The woman stated as she plopped onto the bed and crossed her legs, "I was thinking that you're training needed to be upped _again_."

Immediately, his cheeks puffed out in a pout as Li whined, "Stop teasing me like that, Mama~!"

Her lips quirked up into a smirk, "Whoever said I was teasing you?"

Li's jaw dropped before he jumped to his feet and declared bravely , "SHE-DEVIL!"

BONK!

A large bump grew from the spiky mess of brown locks known as Li's head as a vein throbbed on Fang's temple.

Daisuke laughed at the familiar scene while placing the tray on the bedside table and placating, "Now, now, calm down, you two."

"We are calm." Fang responded with a huff before staring pointedly at Li, "Aren't we, Kyuu-chan?"

Said gender-bender cried waterfalls, "Hoi…"

The woman smirked, "See?"

"Haha~ I see now, love."

Tsuna and Shouichi sweatdropped at the nonchalance held by the adults before stiffening when Fang turned her gaze onto them.

Her unreadable eyes trailed over their faces before she got up and waved airily, "Enjoy your time."

The boys blinked at her dismissal as both adults left the room.

Li scratched the side of his face, "That's weird?"

The other two could only nod in agreement.

The gender-bender hummed softly before shrugging it off, "Oh well~ Let's eat now!"

Tsuna laughed softly at the other's enthusiasm as Shouichi sighed with a smile, "Li-san, you glutton."

"And proud of it!" He affirmed with a cheeky grin.

That said, they dug into the snacks and the door closed.

* * *

"Ugh…"

A small hand groggily rubbed at sleepy eyes.

"Wha' time is 't?"

"Ara? Finally up, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna blinked blearily before his vision cleared.

Sitting up abruptly, he realized that he was in his own bedroom.

Rubbing his eyes, the brunette turned to see his mother with a small smile on her lips.

"Okaa-san…?"

Nana blinked and tilted her head, "Yes, Tsu-kun?"

His brow furrowed as he scratched his head and asked, "Wasn't I at Li's house?"

Her smile faltered briefly but she stuck with it and nodded in agreement, "Yes, but Fang-chan brought you over last night."

He blinked again before nodding slowly, "Oh…"

That made sense.

After all, Fang did take the boys home when it got too late; once, when they first met.

But…

His heart clenched with unease.

After that one time, they typically would've _stayed the night_.

Suddenly, he threw his blanket off of himself and stated determinedly, "I'm gonna go see Li!"

"E-Eh?" Nana startled as her son flittered around the room, getting dressed, before asking with hesitation, "What about breakfast?"

"I'll eat later!" He responded, already running down the stairs.

The woman quickly followed, calling out, "Wait, Tsu-kun! They-! _Tsu-kun_!"

* * *

His steps slowed down as he approached the familiar black gates of the Sasaki house.

But, as he got closer, the ambiance changed.

Tsuna shivered and rubbed his arms, a small frown gracing his lips.

"Ah…!"

The brunette jumped before turning around.

"Shouichi-kun!" Tsuna greeted happily with a smile.

"Tsunayoshi-kun…" The redhead smiled weakly back, causing the brunette to falter.

"Shouichi-kun…?" Tsuna asked slowly with furrowed brows, "What's wrong…?"

Green eyes widened at the question before the redhead asked in shock, "You don't know?"

Confusion was evident on his face, making Shouichi purse his lips in hesitation.

"Shouichi-kun…?"

The redhead looked away before lifting his gaze to meet with Tsuna's.

A chill ran up his spine as his heart pounded at the pained expression in his friend's eyes.

Shouichi glanced over to the house's nameplate.

Tsuna gulped but forced himself to turn around.

Sound muted to only the harsh beating of his heart.

Ice filled his inside as his face drained of color.

His arms fell limp to his sides as his breath came out in shudders.

That copper nameplate which once held the name _Sasaki_ was now _empty_.

"Why…?"

The question came out as barely a whisper.

"Why?"

His fists slammed onto the stone wall as his vision blurred; he choked out a sob.

"Why is it empty?"

Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he barely heard Shouichi's own cries mingling with his.

"Because they left."

The boys snapped to attention and turned, tear-stained, to see a tall man, stern faced with sharp blue eyes, and a young boy of the same resemblance.

"Who…?" Shouichi started before flinching away from the cold glare that the boy threw at him, tonfa in hand.

Tsuna kept his gaze on the man and asked once more, "Why?"

"Hn. Typically I wouldn't bother with herbivores but you were close to them, weren't you?"

It was more of a statement than a question but the innocent boys nodded nonetheless.

The man continued to gaze at the silent building, "My name is Hibari Hisoka of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. … Brother-in-law of Sasaki Daisuke and Yu Xue Fang and uncle to Sasaki Li and Sasaki Kiyoshi."

This information definitely caught their attention.

"Sometime last night, the Sasaki family disappeared."

Shouichi gripped his torso as Tsuna paled even further.

"As of current, there is no information provided on them."

The redhead wanted to speak but his voice was silenced as the brunette leaned against the cold wall in shock.

Hisoka watched their reactions before turning away.

"… I suggest you forget about them."

Kyouya continued watching the two before turning his gaze to the desolate house.

His grip on his tonfa tightened before he too turned to walk away.

"How…?"

The two Hibari paused at the hoarse whisper.

Shouichi gripped his sides painfully tight before shouting.

"HOW CAN WE JUST FORGET THEM!"

The volume forced Tsuna to look over at the redhead.

Face flushed, eyes tearing and jaw tensed, Shouichi breathed, "You can't-! You can't just _forget_ about the ones you love."

"Shouichi-kun…" Tsuna whispered before averting his eyes in thought.

'Li… I can't even remember when I didn't know you.'

So much time had passed.

Time spent laughing in joy.

Time spent crying in sorrow.

Time spent being together.

Like they had been for so long.

His fists clenched in thought before he raised his eyes.

"Hibari-san!"

Both turned to look at the "herbivores" in carefully concealed interest.

"You… You must be looking into them, right?"

Kyouya frowned and was about to step forward to shut the brunette up when Hisoka fully turned around to stare the other down.

To his credit, Tsuna took the glare in stride with just a flinch and stared straight back.

Mentally, Hisoka smirked, 'So the herbivore actually has some fight in him.'

Outwardly cool, he simply retorted, "Hn. Worry about your own."

That said, both Hibari members left.

And the tension lifted.

The boys collapsed onto the sidewalk, breathing heavily.

For a moment, that was all that could be heard.

Catching his breath, Shouichi looked over at the brunette to see him gazing up at the sky, "Tsunayoshi-kun...?"

Tsuna didn't reply for a moment.

'Worry about your own…'

His brown eyes closed in thought.

'Was he talking about us? Or himself?'

Exhaling slowly, Tsuna reopened his eyes to the sky.

The bright sun was partially shaded by the moving clouds.

His hands clenched before he murmured, "… We promised, didn't we?"

Green eyes blinked in confusion as brown ones closed again in thought.

"That we'll always be friends."

Shouichi went wide-eyed at the sudden calm that took over the normally spastic boy.

"I'm sure that they didn't really want to leave."

The redhead stayed silent, listening.

"Whatever happened that day…"

The brunette trailed off before shaking his head.

"All we can do now is wait."

A moment of silence passed over them before the redhead sighed with a bittersweet smile.

"I guess you're right."

They gripped onto each other's hands as a single magpie flew by.

_Li…_

_Come back soon, okay?_

_

* * *

Epilogue: Until We Meet Again._

At age five, Sasaki Li met Sawada Tsunayoshi and then Irie Shouichi.

Over the course of two years, the three children grew close and formed a formidable bond.

Then, one day out of the seeming blue, the entire Sasaki family disappeared.

The questions "why" and "how" they disappeared with nary a trace have yet to be answered but it would appear that the Hibari family, relatives of the Sasaki, are looking intensively into it.

While this private investigation goes on, Tsuna and Shouichi must go on with their lives.

But they're not the only ones who must move on.

Sawada Nana, Tsuna's sweet mother, lost her valuable friend and second family.

Hibari Nadeshiko, Kyouya's beloved mother, lost her dearest younger brother, nephew and niece.

Hibari Kyouya lost his close cousins, siblings of sort.

Miura Aki lost her kind savior and potential suitor for her daughter Haru.

Yamamoto Takeshi, Sasagawa Ryohei and Kyoko lost their strange but friendly peer.

Countless memories were made.

Countless more will come.

But how long will it be before their questions are answered…?

_To be continued..._

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

Alas! We've reached the end of this arc! I hope I was able to capture a sort of bittersweet ending to it because, truth be told, I had a completely different ending in mind when I first started out... Oh well. *scratches head* Nonetheless, I hope everyone enjoyed this ending! I have yet to start on the sequel but I'm trying my best to boost up my inspiration for it! It'll take a while but I'm planning on doing it in the same format - a series of one-shots in chronological order. And while I'm at it, I wonder if I should edit this story...? Or maybe I should finish my other stories before doing the sequel...? But I'm getting a bit off-track here.

As always, I welcome all feedback, questions and the likes if you have any.

Thank you for reading _The Journal of Memories_!

Until then, ciao for now~! ;3


End file.
